Strawberry: A New Fight

By Stephen M. Silverman

08/17/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Sidelined Yankee outfielder Darryl Strawberry confirmed over the weekend that doctors have told him that his cancer has returned. "I'm handling it," the slugger, 38, told the New York Post. On Friday, the athlete had been told by doctors that lymph nodes in the area of his colon were enlarged. (Strawberry underwent surgery and treatment for colon cancer in 1998.) The bad word about this latest flare-up comes after last week's news about Strawberry's possible violation of probation for leaving a drug rehab center one month before his scheduled release. He was arrested last year for possession of cocaine and for the solicitation of a prostitute. While Yankee manager Joe Torre told reporters that this latest diagnosis of Strawberry's left him "sick to my stomach," an optimistic Straw told the Post, "I guess I'm laughing a little bit because I feel good. I don't feel sick or anything." The ballplayer is said to be undergoing further medical tests today.