Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Aussie pitcher Hendriks suffers setback at Red Sox
Stephen Hawkins • March 28th, 2025 10:55 am
Photo: AP
Liam Hendriks has suffered an injury setback, delaying his eagerly awaited debut with the Boston Red Sox.
The Australian was placed on the 15-day injured list before Boston's season opener on Thursday at Texas because of elbow inflammation.
The right-handed relieving pitcher was on the Red Sox's roster all last season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
Manager Alex Cora said before the game at Texas that Hendriks would visit Keith Meister, the Rangers' team physician who did his surgery in August 2023.
Cora said the 36-year-old's last bullpen session during spring training wasn't good.
"Velo was down and he didn't bounce back. Obviously, when they were feeling the elbow, the area, he's going to see Dr Meister here," Cora said.
"It's the smart thing to do. Velo was trending in the right direction until the last one, so we decided to put him on the IL (injury list). ... Hopefully, it's something minor, get a shot or something."
Hendriks, a three-time All-Star, agreed to a $10 million, two-year contract with the Red Sox in February 2024 that includes a mutual option for 2026.
He was with the Chicago White Sox when he missed the start of the 2023 season while undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, then returned May 29 of that year for five relief appearances before the surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Hendriks was working to pitch for the Red Sox late last season, but felt tightness in his forearm in the last of his five minor league rehab appearances from August 18 through to Septemver 5. He had a 1.80 ERA in those games.
Hendriks is 33-34 with 116 saves and a 3.82 ERA in 476 big league games with Minnesota (2011-13), Kansas City (2014), Toronto (2014-15), Oakland (2016-20) and the White Sox (2021-23).
He was AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2023 after returning from treatment for Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
