Former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks is being treated for Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a form of stomach cancer. The unfortunate announcement came in an article by MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, to which the team responded directly on social media.
Jenks is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in Portugal, where he resides after moving to be closer to his wife’s family. According to Merkin, Jenks dealt with a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in his right calf upon first arriving in October. It was just the beginning of his health issues, which led to additional blood clots in his lungs and eventually a noticeable loss of energy in daily tasks last month. After undergoing tests and having a CT scan done, a tumor in the middle of his chest was discovered.
When reflecting on the diagnosis with Merkin, the former closer didn’t seem too taken aback by the news.
“You know, the shit I was doing in my 20s and early 30s, no normal person would have survived. So, in one way, I’m grateful to be alive. In another way, I’m not surprised this happened. It goes to show you have to take care of yourself from top to bottom with nutrition and exercise and having a good daily plan.
Jenks told Merkin that the cancer has spread “all over his stomach lining, into his bones, into his lower back and his hips.” He is also dealing with bleeding in his stomach after the tumor ruptured, causing severe digestive problems. To combat this, Jenks is going through a second round of radiation, with the final three sessions planned for next week. The goal is to shrink the tumor and get the bleeding under control, though Jenks is on blood thinners because of the clots in his lungs, making this much more difficult and unpredictable.
Despite the odds against him, Jenks remains positive as he takes his treatment one step at a time.
“Now it’s time to do what I got to do to get myself better and get myself more time, however you want to look at it. I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not going to die here in Portugal.
“They are not going to put any numbers on it. I wouldn’t even want numbers. You hear stories all the time, ‘Oh, they gave me six months, 25 years ago.’ I don’t buy into that. Whatever happens is going to happen regardless.”
Jenks played in the majors for seven seasons from 2005-11, spending most of his time with the White Sox before shipping up to Boston for his final campaign. Most commonly known for his dominance during the 2005 World Series run, Jenks ranks third all-time in saves by a White Sox pitcher. He is also a two-time All-Star and formerly held the major league record for retiring consecutive batters (41).
Complications from a 2011 surgery to remove bone spurs in his back ultimately led to Jenks’ release from the Red Sox and marked the end of his professional career. The right-hander finished with a 3.53 ERA, 173 saves, 3.21 FIP, 1.251 WHIP, and 1.31 K/BB ratio when all was said and done. He later sued the doctor who operated on him in 2015 for malpractice and eventually reached a $5.1 million settlement in 2019.
Last season, Jenks completed his first with the Windy City Thunderbolts located in Crestwood. It’s the second managerial stint for the former pitcher, with his first at the helm of the Grand Junction Rockies highlighted by a Pioneer League championship in 2022. That season, the independent team finished with a 62-33 record and Jenks was named Pioneer League Manager of the Year.
As we know after watching Jenks compete for years on the South Side, he won’t go down without a fight. On behalf of our entire team at Sox On 35th, we would like to wish the World Series champ all the best as he continues his treatment.
To read Merkin’s full article on Jenks, click here.
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Featured Photo: Chicago White Sox/X
