Five weeks ago, Colorado Rockies starter Chad Bettis had advice for right-hander Jameson Taillon but no phone number. He contacted Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich and was put in touch with manager Clint Hurdle, who passed him along to Taillon. At that point, the evening of May 8, Taillon was at his Pittsburgh apartment recovering from surgery for testicular cancer.
Bettis underwent the same surgery six months prior, though he needed chemotherapy this spring after the cancer spread. Bettis wanted to give Taillon space, but he understood it might help to hear from someone in the same line of work with a similar story.