By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
If former Philadelphia Phillies star Shane Victorino is going to make a comeback attempt in 2017, it reportedly has become more difficult.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, Victorino recently had a medical procedure done:
Victorino was planning to get back into baseball on a minor league deal, but the 36-year-old had to put those plans on hold after having minor surgery to remove a cyst under his arm.
It's unclear when exactly Victorino had this surgery or what impact it will have on his ability to play in 2017. He only played a combined 101 games between 2014 and 2015. It's possible that this surgery will be the icing on the cake to the 36-year-old deciding not to play in 2017.
Cafardo did note last month that Victorino had an offer to play in 2017 and that his agent was waiting to hear back from him on whether to accept the offer. At that time, it appeared more of a question of whether Victorino wanted to play at all in 2017, but perhaps this Victorino was aware of this potential surgery. With an uncertain timetable, it's not clear whether Victorino will still have any offers to play when and if he decides he's ready.
If Victorino was guaranteed a spot on a major league roster, he would likely jump at any chance to play once he recovers, but as Cafardo noted, any deal would likely only be a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training. Victorino had that same chance a year ago with the Chicago Cubs, but didn't make the team out of Spring Training and was released in May after struggling in Triple-A. Injuries likely played a factor in his inability to be effective in 2016 as well.
Nicknamed "The Flyin' Hawaiian," Victorino played for the Phillies for parts of seven seasons, including the team's 2007-2011 run of National League dominance. During his time with the club, Victorino made two All-Star appearances (2009 and 2011), led the league in triples twice (2009 and 2011) and won three Gold Glove Awards (2008-2010).
