NEWSLETTER
Uplifting news from the South Side today as White Sox closer Liam Hendriks took to Instagram to say that he has finished cancer treatment.
“These past 5 months have been both the quickest and slowest of my life. Being able to ring this victory bell has been one of the most emotional things I’ve ever done,” Hendriks wrote on social media on Wednesday.
In early January Hendriks announced he had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and was beginning treatment immediately. There was positive news right before the start of the Major League season. The White Sox opted not to put Hendriks on the 60-day IL. Even though nothing was official, it was a sign he was progressing well.
Hendriks Wants To Back On The Mound By May
At the time, White Sox GM Rick Hahn said they hoped to “be able to get a little more specific” about Hendriks’ status with the team closer to the end of April. So, it’s still unknown when Hendriks will be able to return to baseball activity. White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn said of Hendriks, “We hope to get him back by June if everything is perfect. In his mind, he’ll be back in May.”
His baseball status wasn’t the chief concern, of course. The only thing that matters is that treatment went well. That said, hopefully Hendriks can turn his attention back to baseball where he’s been one of the best relief pitchers in baseball the past few years.
Hendriks had a breakout season in 2019 with Oakland and followed it up with a strong 2020. He joined the White Sox in 2021 and had 75 saves the last two seasons. He was an All-Star in 2019, 2021 and 2022 so he’s a big part of the White Sox pitching staff.
Here’s hoping Liam Hendriks is able to stay healthy and happy and we get to see him dominate hitters on a baseball mound sometime soon!
