Radinsky Might Be Out for Season : Baseball: White Sox reliever has lymph node removed from neck. He will have treatment to prevent spread of Hodgkin’s disease.

Scott Radinsky, Chicago White Sox reliever, had a malignant lymph node removed from his neck, and likely will miss the season while undergoing treatment to prevent the spread of Hodgkin’s disease.

Radinsky, 25, has returned to his home in Simi Valley to begin chemotherapy and radiation treatments that could last six to eight months. Ron Schueler, White Sox general manager, said Tuesday there was an outside chance Radinsky could pitch this year.

Hodgkin’s disease is a chronic disease caused by the enlargement of lymph nodes and other lymph tissues. NHL star Mario Lemieux, NFL lineman Karl Nelson and Olympic wrestler Jeff Blatnick are among other athletes who have been afflicted with the disease.

“It’s curable but you never know when you deal with chemo and radiation,” said Schueler, whose wife died from leukemia in 1991. “There are a lot more severe ones than the one he has. But it’s still cancer. I saw it with my wife when she was having chemo and radiation. It’s not a lot of fun.”

“The cure rate on this type of cancer is 80 to 90 percent,” he said. “The doctors are real optimistic. They think he will be fine and even to the point that he’ll be weakened by all this treatment, but at times will be able to do little physical therapy to keep his muscle structure up.”

Radinsky underwent tests after complaining of discomfort on the left side of his neck. The surgery was performed Monday by oncologists at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. X-rays revealed no spread of the disease.

Radinsky, a four-year veteran, appeared in 78 games with the White Sox last season with an 8-2 record and a 4.28 ERA. He was not available for comment.

Radinsky is married to the sister of shortstop Ozzie Guillen’s wife. Guillen said Tuesday that Radinsky had visited him in December and was complaining of discomfort then.

“He’s trying to be upbeat. He’s a little nervous and concerned,” Schueler said after talking with Radinsky.

“But I think the doctors did a good job explaining everything to him real well. He’s very aggressive. He just wants to get back and the doctors want him to get on with the treatment and get this thing over with.”

Trainer Herm Schneider said immediate treatment is imperative.

“The sooner he gets going on it, the better it is for his health, for his life. He’s got the best of a bad situation but it’s still a bad situation,” Schneider said.

Schueler already has encouraged Radinsky to visit the team when the Sox go to the West Coast.

White Sox outfielder Darrin Jackson underwent surgery for testicular cancer in 1987 when he was with the Chicago Cubs.

“Most athletes don’t think about things like this,” Jackson said before Radinsky’s condition was made public. “We don’t think anything is doing to happen to us. I think this puts everything in perspective, that anything can happen at any age.”

And he said he’d offer all the encouragement he could to Radinsky.

“Obviously you see where I’m at today. Seven years later,” he said.