Diagnosed at 18: Retired 14-Year MLB Player Anthony Rizzo’s Cancer Journey

In 2008, promising 18-year-old Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Almost two decades later, he retired after a 14-year career in MLB at age 36. Currently, he is an ambassador for the Chicago Cubs, and intends to remain a part of the organization.

According to a statement released by Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts, "Anthony Rizzo was the face of one of the most successful eras in Chicago Cubs history and we are so excited he will be a part of our organization for many years to come.”

The first sign of cancer that Rizzo noticed was his ankles swelling. A teammate had told his father that something seemed wrong, pushing him to see a doctor. A few days later, he was diagnosed with early stage Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Currently, the estimated 5-year survival rate for Hodgkin’s lymphoma is around 93%.

Following his diagnosis, Rizzo underwent chemotherapy for around six months. After completing his treatment, he went into remission in September 2008, and was able to return to life as per normal.

After his brush with cancer, Rizzo established the Anthony Rizzo Foundation with his family in 2012, dedicating his time and money to supporting cancer research.

The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation was founded by Rizzo with the mission to raise funds for cancer research and provide financial support to children and their families throughout their cancer treatments. According to Rizzo: “No family should ever have to choose between paying a bill and saving their child’s life.”

In 2017, Rizzo was awarded the Roberto Clemente Award, a recognition of a MLB player who best represented the game through “extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions”. The award came after his foundation dedicated $3.5 million USD to establish two endowment funds at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, in May 2017.

The foundation has been running their Walk-Off event series for the past 14 years, and raised over $700,000 USD in the 2025 edition of the event, which featured a 5K run and a walk. Major donors also stood a chance to receive an autographed jersey, bat or baseball signed by Rizzo.

In 2026, Rizzo still continues to push to fundraise and support cancer research, including renting out the amusement park Santa’s Village, to host pediatric cancer patients and their families for a day of fun. He also plans to run the 2026 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, aiming to raise $100,000 USD for pediatric cancer research.