Hendriks joins Sox pregame; talks recovery, return

CHICAGO -- The applause started as soon as Liam Hendriks entered the press conference.

So, if there’s no cheering in the press box, that rule apparently is suspended when an All-Star closer who is in remission from stage four non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma makes his first comments since announcing his diagnosis via Instagram on Jan. 8. Hendriks began chemotherapy the following day, but in a testament to the fortitude of Hendriks and his wife, Kristi, the exceptional medical treatment received and the enormous support system around them, Hendriks could be pitching for the White Sox at some point during the next homestand beginning May 16.

Hendriks’ Minor League injury rehab takes him to Gwinnett this weekend, where he will pitch for Triple-A Charlotte. According to Chicago manager Pedro Grifol, Hendriks will need four or five appearances with the Knights, but the White Sox also will monitor how he responds to the work.

“Not only did he fight through cancer, he still prepared for this through cancer, which is really incredible,” Grifol said. “Most people when they are diagnosed with that, that is all they can concentrate on, right?"

“His resilience is top-notch,” White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito said. “The positivity he carried through the entire process was remarkable.”

Wednesday’s press conference ran just short of 30 minutes, with numerous White Sox teammates joining reporters and even representatives from the Twins at the Guaranteed Rate Field Conference and Learning Center. Some things clearly transcend on-field competition.

Hendriks' problems began during the 2022 season, when he said he had lumps removed from his neck area in June. Tests that followed, including blood tests, didn’t show anything cancer-related, although Hendriks was convinced something was wrong. He was diagnosed in early December.

Over 58 appearances in 2022, Hendriks posted a 2.81 ERA with 37 saves and 85 strikeouts against 16 walks in 57 2/3 innings. Even after earning a second consecutive All-Star appearance and third overall, Hendriks didn’t like the way he recovered in ‘22 and was unable to go multiple innings as he’s prepared to do.

That issue could relate back to the cancer diagnosis.

“It turned out the [lumps] in my hips were actually bigger [than my neck],” Hendriks said. “So, there’s no way to put a real timeline on it, but if I had the ones in my neck in June and the ones in my hip were bigger, there was always the chance I pitched damn near all year with lymphoma in my system.

“Who knows how much that actually affected me. We’ll find out when I get into, as long as Pedro is in here, four or five games in a row, and move forward. Hopefully, that was a contributing factor to it, and we can move forward and get back to what I like to do, and that’s pitch every day.”

Pitch every day? It’s amazing Hendriks is pitching at all this season. There was never a doubt in Hendriks’ mind he would be back.

Fans and teammates know Hendriks as a charismatic closer who celebrates last outs with a pronounced uppercut as he leaps off the mound but isn’t afraid to voice his displeasure with a missed pitch even in bullpen sessions. He and Kristi have given back to the Chicagoland area since they arrived in Chicago, and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind on even controversial topics but always educates himself first.

He’s also an exceedingly upbeat individual, which helped in this battle leading to a declaration of being cancer-free and in remission on April 20.

“Since my career turned around in 2018, 2019, I haven’t changed my mindset. It’s always been, 'A positive next day is what we are going to do,'” Hendriks said. “It’s never been a look to the future. It’s been taking care of today. That was a contributing factor that really helped me attack everything with this.

“Treatments 1 and 3 were the hardest for me. Treatments 2 and 4 were a lot easier, but it was those days where you're just on the couch not being able to move too much, those were the days you needed to find the positive mental attitude. It hasn’t changed my outlook on life, but it’s definitely made me miss being in this clubhouse. It’s made me miss being a part of the team.”

Hendriks wore a Struckout Cancer T-shirt, courtesy of Obvious Shirts. Mission accomplished with the help of so many, and now it’s back to baseball.

“He lifts us all up. He’s an inspiration to us all,” Grifol said. “And just the way he went about it is just incredible.”

“Obviously, now I’m just trying to ramp up and then get this going. We have a timeline in place,” Hendriks said. “It’s just a matter of how it goes, and how I feel getting into games and now having to adjust to a pitch clock that I haven’t used yet. We have a plan in place but nothing set in stone because it all depends on how I recover and how I go.”