Before outfielder Aaron Zavala first revealed the “medical anomaly” that was discovered during a routine physical before he signed his first professional contract, the only peep from Texas Rangers officials was how well he was handling the situation and what terrific character he had.
That was in late July and early August after doctors found a small, benign tumor toward the top of his spine. The good news is it’s not preventing him from playing baseball, which he did very well before the draft at Oregon and after he made his pro debut.
Zavala hasn’t slowed much since the regular season ended. He went to Arizona for the instructional league, was part of the team’s four-game barnstorming tour against Texas college teams, and is back at the Surprise Recreation Campus for the offseason.
He talks about all of it in the 12th episode of the Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast, which hit your favorite platforms Thursday afternoon. John Moore and I talk about where the Rangers stand in the aftermath of the qualifying offers and the general managers meetings.
Give it a listen either by clicking the play button above or by selecting the links below to other platforms.
Oh, and if you haven’t subscribed to the podcast YouTube channel, do it. We are slowly but surely adding the video element. Plus, there are videos of prospects doing stuff, like this one of Zavala.
Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast keeps on ticking, this time with second-round pick Aaron Zavala