Corey Phelan, a pitcher in the Phillies’ minor league, has died at the age of 20 after a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Read his team’s touching statement in his honor.
The baseball community is mourning the loss of one of their own.
Corey Phelan, a left-handed pitcher in the Phillies’ minor league, has died after a battle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Phelan’s team announced the news of his tragic passing in statement shared on Oct. 13. He was just 20 years old.
“The Phillies family is extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Corey Phelan,” the statement read. “Corey’s positive presence and selflessness influenced everyone around him. While he was incredibly passionate about the game of baseball, his love for his family and his strong faith superseded everything else. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, as well as his teammates and staff who were by his side, providing emotional support throughout the course of his courageous battle with cancer.”
The Phillies signed the New York native as an undrafted free agent out of high school in 2020.
This past April, Phelan shared that he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after doctors found a nine-inch mass in his chest. Amid his treatment, he was able to visit the Phillies clubhouse in Citi Field, as they were in town to face the Mets.
“It was awesome,” Phelan said of the night in May, per MLB. “I can’t put into words how awesome it was. Every time I can watch them on TV, depending on what channel they are playing on, I watch them, and I root for them every game. I love watching them play. They bring my spirits up.”
The team’s director of player development, Preston Mattingly, also shared a few words honoring Phelan’s legacy following news of his passing.
“Corey is and always will be a special person,” his statement read. “His smile lit up a room and everyone who came into contact with him cherished the interaction. His memory will live on, especially with the Phillies organization.”
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