Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris has thyroid cancer

Detroit Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris disclosed Monday that he kept pitching after learning he had a cancerous growth on his thyroid.

Norris, 22, said he was told by a doctor that surgery could wait until the end of the season.

“It’s time to get this thing out,” Norris said.

Norris was traded from Toronto to Detroit in late July in the deal that sent David Price to the Blue Jays.

Al Avila, the Tigers’ general manager, says the club knew about Norris’ condition when they acquired him and expect him to recover in full.

Barry Zito calls it a career

Left-hander Barry Zito announced in an article for “The Players’ Tribune” that he is “retiring today from baseball, but I’ll never be too far away from the game that made me who I am.”

Zito, 37, said last month when called up to the Oakland Athletics after a season in triple A that he planned to retire and turn his attention to his other love, music, and spending more time with his family.

The 2002 American League Cy Young Award winner with the A’s, Zito had a record of 165-143 and a 4.04 earned-run average in parts of 15 big league seasons, which included seven years with the San Francisco Giants.

He considers a highlight the 2012 World Series, when he was the Game 1 winner. He also pitched Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against St. Louis with the Giants facing elimination.

Tigers pitching coach Jeff Jones retires

Tigers pitching coach Jeff Jones retired after a 38-year career in professional baseball, saying he was ready to spend more time with his family.

Jones became the team’s pitching coach in July 2011 when the Tigers fired Rick Knapp in the middle of the season. Justin Verlander went on to win the AL Cy Young Award that year, and Max Scherzer followed suit in 2013.

Detroit won four consecutive AL Central titles thanks in large part to its starting pitching, but the staff struggled this season and the Tigers sank to last place.

“There have been some great moments that I’ll cherish, especially being a lifelong Tigers fan,” Jones said. “I’ve been contemplating this for a little while and at this point in my life I want to spend time with my family and grandchildren, and I am looking forward to it.”

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