Hendriks 'in very good spirits' as treatment progresses

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Liam Hendriks has been around the White Sox Camelback Ranch complex several times over the last few weeks, according to comments from White Sox general manager Rick Hahn on Wednesday.

The engaging White Sox closer currently is undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“Going forward, you will very likely see Liam as he continues to work,” Hahn said during his press conference on Day 1 of Spring Training. “We spoke face-to-face again yesterday.

“He’s in very good spirits. He continues to progress with his treatment. However, as we mentioned at the time when his diagnosis was revealed publicly, we still don’t expect to have any update on his availability or plan for the season until closer to Opening Day.”

Hahn reiterated Hendriks won’t be available publicly until closer to Opening Day, once they have a little more understanding of what lies ahead for him.

Crochet getting closer
After undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to the start of the 2022 regular season, left-hander Garrett Crochet remains the only lingering health issue from the offseason besides Hendriks. Crochet is progressing quite well and will continue to build in camp, but according to Hahn, will not appear in Cactus League games.

“We suspect he’ll be on a rehab assignment sometime in April and with the possibility of rejoining the club, if everything goes smoothly, some time in approximately mid-May,” Hann said. “As is usually the case, we’ll have a firmer grasp on his timeline once he’s out on a rehab assignment, likely in April.”

Romy's rave reviews
The White Sox roster continues to be a work in progress, with Hahn pointing to important Spring Training additions such as Johnny Cueto, Billy Hamilton and Brian Goodwin from the last two seasons. Second base currently appears to be a battle between Romy Gonzalez and Lenyn Sosa, with Gonzalez earning raving reviews on Wednesday.

“We even had a player that went down and worked with him and came back and came into my office in the offseason and said, ‘Don't you dare trade that guy.’ That doesn't mean I won't,” said a smiling Hahn of Gonzalez. “But there's a lot of enthusiasm about Romy and his future.

“Sosa got a little taste last year. He obviously moved quickly. We want to see how he shows up and acclimates himself to his first big league opportunity -- if he rises to that occasion, or it becomes more of a challenge. Those are two of the most interesting guys in that mix.”

Day 1 approval
New manager Pedro Grifol was pleased with how Wednesday workouts went in his first day at Spring Training as White Sox manager.

“The more we practice game speed, the better it is,” Grifol said. “This game really speeds up at 7:10 or 1:10, so the more we can ramp this up and get it to game speed, the better.

“Throws are different. The footwork is different. So that’s what we’re going to look at in this camp to stay consistent throughout this season."