White Sox nearer Liam Hendriks introduced on his Instagram web page tonight that he might be beginning therapy Monday for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
“Listening to the phrase ’most cancers’ got here as a shock to my spouse and I, because it does to tens of millions of households every year. Nonetheless, I’m resolved to embrace the struggle and overcome this new problem with the identical dedication I’ve used when dealing with different obstacles in my life,” Hendriks wrote. “My therapy begins tomorrow, and I’m assured that I’ll make a full restoration and be again on the mound as quickly as attainable. I do know with the assist of my spouse, my household, my teammates, and the Chicago White Sox group, together with the therapy and care from my docs, I’ll get via this.”
White Sox GM Rick Hahn additionally launched a press release on behalf of the workforce: “Our ideas and reactions right now are for Liam the particular person, not Liam the baseball participant. I do know all the Chicago White Sox group, our workers, his teammates, and positively White Sox followers, will rally in assist of Liam and Kristi throughout the coming months. Understanding everybody concerned, particularly Liam, we’re optimistic he’ll pitch once more for the White Sox as quickly as viable. Within the meantime, all of us will do all the pieces in our energy to assist our teammate and his household as they face this problem, whereas additionally respecting their privateness. We don’t count on to have any updates on Liam’s taking part in standing previous to Opening Day on the very earliest.”
Hendriks celebrates his thirty fourth birthday in February, and the native of Perth, Australia is coming off his third All-Star season. Starting his massive league profession with the Twins in 2011, it took Hendriks till 2015 (as a member of the Blue Jays) to essentially get away, which kicked off a run of 4 stable however unspectacular seasons of bullpen work. In 2019, nevertheless, Hendriks took issues to a different degree, as he has emerged as one of many sport’s finest closers after posting a 2.26 ERA, 38.8% strikeout charge, and 5.1% stroll charge over 239 innings since begin of the 2019 marketing campaign.
All three of Hendriks’ All-Star alternatives have are available that dominant four-year stretch, and it led to a giant free agent payday throughout the 2020-21 offseason. Hendriks is 2 seasons right into a three-year, $54MM cope with the White Sox that features a distinctive $15MM membership possibility for 2024 that additionally carries a $15MM buyout (which might be coated in deferred funds if the Sox did decline the choice).
Past his success on the sphere, Hendriks can be a broadly fashionable participant, beloved by teammates and followers alike. At this time’s information has already began an outpouring of assist for Hendriks on social media, and we at MLB Commerce Rumors be a part of the remainder of the baseball world in wishing him a full restoration.
Hahn’s assertion supplied some tough thought of a timeline for the way lengthy Hendriks is perhaps sidelined, although clearly the state of affairs could be very fluid. Pitching is of course nearly the very last thing on Hendriks’ thoughts in the meanwhile, and for the White Sox as effectively, merely getting their good friend and teammate wholesome is infinitely extra vital than roster influence.
There isn’t a simple approach to exchange Hendriks in Chicago’s bullpen, as whereas Kendall Graveman might be the likeliest candidate to step in as nearer, bumping everybody up the depth chart leaves the White Sox aid corps thinner as a complete. There had been some commerce buzz surrounding Hendriks earlier this winter, because the Mets and different groups had curiosity in including a high-end reliever, and there was some thought that the White Sox might transfer Hendriks (and his contract) as a approach to handle different roster wants with out increasing the funds.
