Radinsky Returns for Chemotherapy : Baseball: White Sox pitcher at home in Simi Valley following surgery to remove malignant lymph node from his neck.

Chicago White Sox reliever Scott Radinsky, a former star at Simi Valley High, 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. White Sox general manager Ron Schueler said Tuesday there is 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 it.

“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%. 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 a 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 last season with an 8-2 record and a 4.28 earned-run average. He was not available for comment.

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

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

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,” Schueler said. “He’s got the best of a bad situation but it’s still a bad situation.”

As comfortable on the mound as he was at a drum set in a rock band, the hard-throwing, free-spirited left-hander dominated hitters when he pitched for Simi Valley.

In 1986, he led the Pioneers (26-4) to the semifinals of the Southern Section 4-A Division playoffs. Radinsky was 14-1 with a 1.18 ERA as a senior, striking out 180 batters in 100 innings.

Schueler has encouraged Radinsky to visit the team when the White Sox come to the West Coast.