Liam Hendriks opens season on IL, again delaying reliever’s debut with the Boston Red Sox

By Canadian Press on March 27, 2025.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Liam Hendriks was placed on the 15-day injured list before Boston’s season opener Thursday at Texas because of elbow inflammation, again delaying the right-handed reliever’s debut with the Red Sox after being on their roster all last season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Manager Alex Cora said before the game at Texas that Hendriks would visit Dr. Keith Meister, the Rangers team physician who did his surgery in August 2023. Cora said the 36-year-old Australian pitcher’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. … 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 Aug. 18 through Sept. 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.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press

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