Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg says he is battling cancer again and is prepared to fight the disease

Famed Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg revealed Tuesday his prostate cancer has returned and “spread to other organs.”

Sandberg announced in January his metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis and, after months of treatments, stated he was cancer-free in August.

“Unfortunately, we recently learned the cancer has relapsed and it has spread to other organs,” the Baseball Hall of Famer wrote on Instagram. “This means that I’m back to more intensive treatment. We will continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for me and my family.”

Sandberg started his career in 1981 with the Philadelphia Phillies, who drafted him out of high school. The Phillies traded him to the Cubs after that season, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame website.

In 16 big league seasons in Chicago, Sandberg won nine straight Gold Glove Awards. The Hall of Fame refers to him as “one of the game’s best second basemen.”

When he retired following the 1997 season, the 10-time All-Star held “the record for most Gold Glove Awards by a second baseman (nine), the most consecutive errorless games by a second baseman (123) and the most home runs by a second baseman (277 of his 282 home runs came as a second baseman),” according to the site.

Sandberg was elected into the Hall in 2005.

“Ryne is an inspiration to cancer survivors everywhere. I know all Cubs fans join my family and me in sending positive thoughts to Ryne and keeping him and his family in our prayers as he faces this next round of treatments to defeat cancer.” Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said in a statement Tuesday.

“Ryne has the heart and soul of a champion and that will serve him well in this challenge.”

In June, the Cubs honored the 65-year-old with a statue outside Wrigley Field.

“My life changed a lot in 1984,” Sandberg said at that ceremony referring to his MVP season. “But that’s nothing compared to what happened six months ago. My thoughts today are instead about love, life, family and friends.”

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