Liam Hendriks is yet another step closer towards making his remarkable return.
The White Sox closer appeared out of the bullpen for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights on Friday evening, his first in-game appearance since defeating cancer last month. In storybook fashion, Hendriks retired all three batters he faced, striking out one, and throwing five of his nine pitches for strikes.
Hendriks, 34, was assigned to Charlotte earlier on Friday to officially begin his rehab assignment. Following a standing ovation from everyone in attendance, the dominant right-hander was instantly his old self on the mound. Though no timetable has been given for his MLB return, Hendriks figures to be back on the South Side sooner than later barring any setbacks.
The three-time All-Star reliever was originally diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma on January 9 and began chemotherapy the following day. After fighting for months while still working out with the team in Arizona, Hendriks announced on Instagram that he was cancer-free and in remission on April 20.
An important player for the White Sox both on and off the field, Hendriks was never placed on the 60-day IL, which general manager Rick Hahn said was intentional. The Aussie is known for his warrior mentality, and many teammates have come out and expressed their confidence in his ability to not only beat cancer but make it back onto the field. He’s already checked off plenty of boxes on his journey back, and tonight was just another example of that.
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Featured Photo: Darren Georgia
