Mariners pitcher Kendall Graveman has benign tumor in cervical spine

Mariners pitcher Kendall Graveman’s road back to an MLB mound has been harder than originally known.

Graveman, who worked his way back from Tommy John surgery to pitch this season for the first time since 2018, disclosed Monday that the neck issue that recently landed him on Seattle’s injured list is a benign tumor near the C6 vertebrae in his cervical spine.

He was noticeably emotional when speaking to reporters in a video conference but assured that the tumor is not threatening to his long-term health. The spot where the tumor is located makes it “tough” to perform a procedure on, however.

“It’s been lingering for about close to two years now,” said the 29-year-old right-hander after a throwing session at the Mariners’ Alternate Training Site in Tacoma. “Helps with medicine but still the whole process has been trial and error. … Seen plenty of specialists, seen numerous doctors. There is a procedure that is a possibility, maybe something that later on down the road we’ll check into.”

Graveman said he will be able to pitch despite the tumor.

“Just continue to hope there is relief in the future and continue to pitch through it. They say it can’t get any worse, it doesn’t grow, it doesn’t spread,” he said. “The prayer and the hope is doctors tell me this thing goes away with time so that’s kinda where we’re at right now with it.”

The tumor does give Graveman discomfort in a way he says is hard to explain.

“It’s not a muscle pain, it’s not a nerve pain. I don’t know, unless you go through it,” he said. “… It’s a tough one to put into words for me. … It’s just there, and to know that it’s there…”

The tumor started in October 2018, Graveman said, and it was found in July 2019 when he was with the Cubs working back from Tommy John surgery.

Graveman started two games for the Mariners this season before the issue resulted in a trip to the injured list.

“(What) hurts me emotionally is when you saw some things on the horizon and throwing the ball well, that this is something that I deal with,” he said. “I’ll be tough at the end of the day and when this is resolved, I promise good things will come from it.”

Graveman made his MLB debut in 2014 with Toronto, then spent four seasons with Oakland, where he put up three straight campaigns with an ERA of 4.19 or lower. He signed with the Mariners last offseason.

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