ARLINGTON, Texas – The "infection" that put Shawn Kelley on the 10-day injured list could be something far more severe.
The righthander revealed Saturday morning that he underwent surgery Thursday to have at least two lumps removed from his vocal cords.
Doctors are performing a biopsy on the masses to determine if they are malignant, and Kelley expects to have the results next week. Doctors have expressed optimism, and he said that he does not use smokeless tobacco.
"I went on the IL originally to get them biopsied, and I guess the biopsy wasn't conclusive enough," Kelley said. "So they removed them. I still don't know the results of what's in my throat, but it's out and I'm going to get back to pitching."
Kelley said that the lumps started bothering him around Opening Day and that they increased in size. He continued to pitch, and emerged as the Rangers' most dependable reliever.
"Honestly, I'm not thinking about it too much," Kelley said. "We'll find out when we find out, but for now I just want to get back to playing. Physically I feel good."
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
