Yankees reliever Tim Hill, winter brings anxiety. Every year, his blood tests and colonoscopy revive painful memories of losing his father to colon cancer and his own brutal battle with the disease.
Tim Hill, now 35, was first diagnosed in 2015 with Stage 3 colon cancer while a Kansas City Royals minor leaguer. His father, Jerry Hill, died of Stage 4 colon cancer when Tim was a high school sophomore.
“You never know what they’ll find,” Tim Hill said to NJ.com. Thankfully, this January, he was once again declared cancer-free.
A baseball dream
Growing up near Los Angeles, Tim Hill was a skinny kid who loved baseball but couldn’t shake his quirky sidearm delivery. His dad, a hardworking tree trimmer from Arkansas, wasn’t athletic but instilled a relentless work ethic in Tim.
When Jerry fell ill, doctors found his cancer had already spread. Despite grim odds, Jerry fought hard, but passed away at 53.
After his father’s death, genetic testing revealed that Tim inherited Lynch syndrome, a mutation that greatly increases the risk of developing cancer.
While Tim’s baseball career started taking off, his health suddenly faltered. After an impressive senior year at Bacone College, he was drafted by the Royals in 2014. He posted a 1.64 ERA in rookie ball, but fatigue plagued him during spring training. Bloodwork revealed dangerously low red blood cells, and a colonoscopy confirmed his worst fears: Stage 3 colon cancer.
At 25, instead of chasing a baseball dream, Hill faced a fight for his life. Surgery removed half of his colon, followed by grueling radiation and eight months of chemotherapy. His weight plummeted from 220 to 150 pounds.
“Chemo was torturous,” Hill said. “I’d rather do surgery a thousand times.”
Determined to stay productive, Hill took online classes during treatment. After completing chemo, he was cancer-free and slowly rebuilt his strength. By 2017 spring training, he’d regained 60 pounds and returned to the mound.
Hill steadily rose through the Royals’ system, making their Opening Day roster in 2018. His sidearm sinkers and sliders baffled hitters, and he stuck in the big leagues with the Royals, Padres, White Sox, and now the Yankees.
A fresh start with the Yankees
Last summer, after being released by the White Sox, Tim Hill joined the Yankees and quickly became a key bullpen arm, posting a 2.05 ERA in 35 games and shining in the postseason.
“Tim’s story is inspiring,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s competitive and brings incredible perspective.”
This winter, Tim Hill signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal to stay with the Yankees. But baseball wasn’t his only focus: he also became a first-time father.
In January, Tim Hill’s girlfriend, Nicole, gave birth to a son, Xander. Because of his Lynch syndrome, Hill faced a difficult choice: conceive naturally or use IVF to select embryos without the gene. After deep reflection, he chose natural conception.
“If my parents had used IVF, they might not have picked me,” Hill said. “I didn’t want to play God.”
Instead, Xander will be tested at age 15. If he carries the gene, doctors will monitor him closely, preventing cancer from developing undetected.
Hill isn’t alone in his journey. Yankees veteran Carlos Carrasco, a leukemia survivor, bonded with Hill over their shared battles.
Though discussing his past is painful, Hill embraces being a survivor. He’s active with pediatric cancer patients and was the Padres’ 2023 Roberto Clemente Award nominee.
Today, Hill enjoys the life his father never got to see. He cherishes fatherhood, his baseball career, and the simple blessing of good health.
“You realize everybody takes their health for granted until they don’t have it,” Tim Hill said. “It makes you appreciate things so much more.”
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