Due to elbow irritation, White Sox closer Liam Hendriks has not been able to play since missing the beginning of the season to recuperate from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Prior to Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Miami Marlins, Hendriks was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Tanner Banks, a left-hander, was brought back from Triple-A Charlotte.
Manager Pedro Grifol stated, “It’s unfortunate, especially how he got through what he got through.” It emotionally affects the club as a whole. It affects our roster, but like I said before, we have to keep going and hope that he can get better. Right now, that is the only thing we can do.
Hendriks’ elbow soreness is now behaving similarly to the way it did prior to the season, when he was placed on the disabled list on June 14 due to a strained right forearm flexor and subsequently activated on July 4, according to general manager Rick Hahn.
“At this moment, we are unsure if that will follow a similar trajectory for this year,” stated Hahn. He’s currently having more tests done on him. He’s not visiting our doctors at the ballpark. To be honest, I don’t think we’ll have a concrete update until maybe Tuesday.
Hendriks’ stay on the injured list coincides with the White Sox’s (29-38) ongoing efforts to recover from a dismal 7-21 start to the season. Before blowing a 5-1 lead in the weekend’s last game versus the Marlins, they had won six out of eight.
The White Sox were also without Garret Crochet as the left-hander completed his recuperation from Tommy John surgery when Hendriks missed the opening of the season. Prior to faltering in the series finale against Miami, Kendall Graveman and Keynan Middleton had been pitching admirably. Crochet made his comeback last month.
Hendriks had been gradually reintegrated into the closer position by Grifol.
Prior to Sunday’s defeat, Grifol stated, “Obviously, losing Liam can hurt any bullpen.” However, compared to if it had happened suddenly, we are more prepared. I have faith in the men we have at that location. Their baseball pitches have been excellent. They have been making pitches in various capacities.
On May 29, Hendriks returned to the major leagues after a cancer diagnosis, pitching one inning against the Los Angeles Angels. In five appearances this season, the 34-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a save percentage and a 5.40 ERA.
Over 13 seasons with Minnesota, Toronto, Kansas City, Oakland, and Chicago, Hendriks has amassed 116 saves and a 3.82 ERA. In January 2021, he inked a three-year, $54 million contract with the White Sox.
In his debut season with Chicago, he led the American League with a career-high 38 saves. Despite making his third All-Star squad in 2022 and ranking third in the majors with 37 saves, he discovered several lumps on his neck last summer.
His non-Hodgkin lymphoma was discovered at stage 4, and he received chemotherapy and immunotherapy. He declared himself to be in remission in April.
“I feel sorry for him, simply because of all that he has endured and what he has gone through to get back to this point, as you mentioned,” Hahn remarked. I so feel sorry for him personally initially. Secondly, losing a possible weapon for our bullpen’s back end for a while is definitely disheartening. Having said that, we have great faith in the other possibilities available to us down there.