Longtime MLB pitcher Liam Hendriks announced his retirement on Tuesday, via his Instagram account.
“After years of staring down hitters, I have decided to officially retire from Major League Baseball,” Hendriks said in his statement. “My arm has told me in no uncertain terms that it has exactly zero fastballs left in it, and my elbow has made it clear that throwing anything harder than a light breeze now requires a three-day recovery window.”
Hendriks spent parts of 14 seasons in the Majors, posting a career 3.88 ERA across 490 games and 663 2/3 innings. Hendriks began his career as a starter before transitioning to the bullpen, where he became one of the top relievers in the sport for a long stretch with the A’s and White Sox. He was a three-time All-Star and won the AL Reliever of the Year Award in two straight years from 2020-21, posting a 2.34 ERA with an MLB-best 52 saves during that stretch.
Of course, Hendriks was known for much more than just his ability as a pitcher. The Australian native was one of the fieriest players of his generation and was not shy to flash his emotion on the mound. Hendriks was also one of the most philanthropic and generous players during his time in the Majors, earning seven nominations for the Roberto Clemente Award. Liam and his wife Kristi started Hendriks’ Heroes, a nonprofit organization that spanned cancer research, animal rescue and veteran and first responder support.
And Hendriks courageously overcame many obstacles in his career. Hendriks announced that he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in January 2023, but returned to the mound that summer -- earning him the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award that season. Hendriks would also undergo Tommy John surgery that August, but had one more 14-game stint with the Red Sox in 2025.