Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Nic Enright got his first major league save on Monday as the 28-year-old rookie awaits a much bigger save opportunity this November: His final cancer treatment.
‘He was almost crying on the field just now,’ Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters afterwards. ‘If you read his story, it´s pretty inspirational.’
Diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in late 2022, Enright nonetheless fought his way to the majors to make his debut on May 25 and has since posted an impressive 2.01 earned-run average over 19 appearances.
Now, with All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase on paid leave amid a sports gambling probe, Enright has been asked to handle high-leverage situations, such as Monday’s extra-innings battle against the Mets in Queens.
Entering with a 7-5 lead in the 10th inning, Enright surrendered one unearned run on an RBI-single to Brett Baty but managed to get Luis Torrens to fly out to right to end the game.
‘I definitely held my breath as I saw [Guardians right fielder Nolan Jones] kind of keep running,’ Enright told reporters. ‘But I had faith. As he kind of got closer to the wall, I realized it was losing steam.’
Guardians pitcher Nic Enright, left, and catcher Bo Naylor, right, celebrate his first save
Nic Enright is seen alongside his wife, Erin, who is sporting some Virginia Tech gear
Enright was originally selected by the Guardians out of Virginia Tech in the 20th round of the 2019 amateur draft. He’d be picked up by the Miami Marlins in the Rule 5 draft in 2022, only to be diagnosed with Hodkin Lymphoma 15 days later.
Since then, he’s undergone several rounds of immunotherapy and other treatments, while continuing to work towards his dream of pitching in the big leagues.
‘I made the decision when I was diagnosed in 2022 with Hodgkin lymphoma that I wasn´t going to let that define my life and dictate how I was going to go about my life,’ Enright said. ‘It´s something where, for anyone else who is going through anything similar, [it shows] I haven´t just holed up in my house and felt sorry for myself this whole time.’
Enrich was ultimately cut by the Marlins in 2023 before returning to the Guardians in May of that year and quietly turning himself into one of the better relief pitchers in Triple-A Columbus. Despite shoulder issues, he posted a miniscule 1.06 ERA in 16 appearances for Columbus in 2024 and was equally effective this season before being called up to the Guardians in May.
Among Enright’s keepsakes from Monday are the ball from the final out, his jersey and the lineup card, all of which he plans to set aside at the home he shares with his wife, Erin, whom he credits along with his other family members for their support.
‘These last couple of years, especially, I’ve gone through a lot of adversity and just everything that’s gone on,’ Enright said, as quoted by The Associated Press. ‘And so for me, it’s being able to reflect on those in these moments. I think that helps being able to slow the game down. Because it hasn’t exactly been a red-carpet rollout for my career trajectory.’
