For Royals prospect Luke Farrell, 2016 was a milestone year.
The 25-year-old Farrell continued his ascent through the minor leagues, reaching Class AAA Omaha, one step from pitching in the majors.
But that paled in comparison to off-the-field news: Farrell had a five-year scan and there was no sign of the tumor that at one time threatened not only his playing days, but his quality of life.
It’s fairly typical for a person heading to college to get his teeth cleaned. What was atypical in Farrell’s case was that the visit came six months after his tonsils had been removed and a protrusion on one side of his throat remained.