Enright snares 1st save in 19th career game amid cancer battle

NEW YORK -- Guardians rookie Nic Enright picked up his first Major League save in a 7-6 victory over the Mets in 10 innings at Citi Field on Monday night.

For the 28-year-old Enright, it was a big deal to earn his first save in just the 19th game of his big league career. Though he is excited to wear a baseball uniform, Enright is also thankful to be alive.

On Dec. 22, 2022, Enright was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Two weeks before that diagnosis, the Marlins selected him from Cleveland in the Rule 5 Draft. During the 2023 season, Miami opted to let him return to the Guardians.

This past offseason, Enright underwent four rounds of immunotherapy for the disease. He is expected to go through four more treatments this fall.

Enright says going through the illness off the field has helped him concentrate better on the field.

“I’ve gone through a lot of adversity -- just everything that has gone on,” he said. “I reflect on those 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.”

After the diagnosis, Enright decided he wasn’t going to let the illness define him or dictate how he was going to go about his life.

“I haven’t just pulled up in my house and felt sorry for myself this whole time,” he said. “On top of it, I can’t speak highly enough of my wife [Erin], my parents [Doug and Betty Enright] and my family and the people around me. To say it’s a team effort is an understatement.”

Nic said it’s Erin who gets the credit for pulling him off the couch after treatments and getting him outside the house.

“I can’t speak highly enough of everything she has done,” Enright said. “The sacrifices she has made because it’s going through treatments and things like that. It’s no easy undertaking, especially for her. I can’t speak high enough of her and everything she has done for me.”

Monday night, Enright entered the game in the bottom of the 10th with Cleveland leading, 7-5. After getting two quick outs, Enright allowed a single to Brett Baty that allowed automatic runner Jeff McNeil to score and make it a one-run game.

But Enright bore down and induced Luis Torrens to fly out to right fielder Nolan Jones to end the game. The Guardians (57-55) have won 17 of 24 games since July 7, remaining within striking distance of the final AL Wild Card spot.

“We are a really gritty team. I think a game like that exemplifies that,” Enright said. “For me, it’s just going out there, not trying to do too much. I’m just trying to do my job. I have a lot of faith in [catcher] Bo [Naylor] and the guys behind me to make all the plays, which they did tonight. That’s what’s going through my mind.”

After the game, he received a beer shower from teammates. Enright will also take home a lineup card, baseball and hat.

“As I’ve learned through this, it’s a really long season. It’s a goal for us to celebrate these little victories, not just for team victories, but career accomplishments and things like that. That’s the fun part of it,” Enright said.

In addition to the save, Enright has a 2.01 ERA with two holds in 19 games.

“What a cool night. His first career save. He was outstanding,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Nic is such a great kid, what he has been through in his personal life, nothing is going to rattle him either. He has been so great for us, consistent. I’m just really happy for him and his family.”