Padres coach, ex-All-Star Matt Williams diagnosed with cancer

March 30 (UPI) -- San Diego Padres third base coach Matt Williams, who played 17 MLB seasons, has been diagnosed with colon cancer.

Williams told reporters about the diagnosis Wednesday night. He will undergo surgery Friday. He plans to attend the Padres' opening day matchup against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday in San Diego. Padres adviser Mike Shildt will fill in for Williams during his absence.

"It's a strange thing, because I wouldn't have known otherwise," Williams said, according to MLB.com. "I feel as good as I've felt in 20 years, able to continue to still do my job and everything else.

"It's just a question of: It's there, and we have to go get it. So now we start that process."

Williams, 57, said he does not exhibit symptoms and that the cancer was discovered earlier this spring.

The Padres coach played for the San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Guardians and Arizona Diamondbacks from 1987 through 2003. He hit an MLB-high 43 home runs in 1994, when he finished second in National League MVP voting. He hit a career-high .336 the next season. Williams hit .268 with 378 home runs in 1,866 career appearances.

The longtime Giants third baseman was a five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner. He won a World Series in 2001 with the Diamondbacks.

He was a coach for the Diamondbacks from 2010 to 2014. He then managed the Washington Nationals in 2014 and 2015.

Williams posted a 179-145 record in two seasons as Nationals manager. He led the team to a 96-66 record in 2014 before they lost in the first round of the playoffs. He claimed 2003 National League Manager of the Year honors.

Williams was Oakland Athletics third base coach from 2017 through 2019. He joined the Padres in 2021.

"He might be the toughest guy I've ever come across in baseball," Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters, according to ESPN.

"We know, I know in particular, that he's gonna give this the fiercest effort of his life, and he's going to beat it. Our players have been fully supportive of him, but it's hard, being so close to somebody and knowing that he has to deal with it. But I know he is, and I know he's gonna beat it."

The Padres will host the Rockies in their season opener at 9:40 p.m. EDT Thursday at Petco Park.