Through all the ups and downs of his fight with cancer, Chad Bettis always had this day in mind.
He knew that he would eventually get back on the hill at Coors Field, pitching in front of the thousands of Rockies fans who have been cheering him on the whole way.
After making a few rehab starts in the minor leagues recently, the Rockies made Bettis' return to the big leagues official Sunday, announcing that he will be the team's starting pitcher Monday night.
Chad Bettis will start tomorrow at Coors Field.#TogetherForBettis 💪 pic.twitter.com/m1o378Aqvm
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) August 13, 2017
He'll be on the hill in front of what will surely be an excited Rockies crowd, hoping to help snap Colorado's 3-game losing streak.
Bettis was initally diagnosed with testicular cancer in November of last year. He thought he had beat the disease for good after surgery, but learned in March that it had returned.
After undergoing chemotherapy for months, he announced in May that he had finished his last treatment.
Monday will be his first regular season appearance for the Rockies since September 30 of last year. And, his return couldn't come at a more perfect time. Colorado has just a four-game lead for the final NL Wild Card spot with 45 games to go.
That means that finally, Bettis can go back to talking about baseball, instead of the ugly disease that he's beaten twice over the past year. It's just the way he'd want it.
