We finally have an update on Liam Hendriks, and it’s not a great one.
The White Sox revealed in a press release on Wednesday that their closer underwent successful Tommy John surgery this morning to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at TMI Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington, Texas.
The club added that recovery time for Hendriks is expected to take approximately 12-14 months, meaning he likely won’t return until 2025 at the earliest. Hendriks was originally placed on the 15-day IL on June 11 (retroactive to June 10) with right elbow inflammation after going 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA (3 ER/5.0 IP), three strikeouts and one save over five appearances this season.
Word of Hendriks’ initial elbow inflammation was never great from the start, especially since he’s pitched with a partial tear in his UCL since 2008. While Hendriks had downplayed any concerns over this in the past, it appears the injury finally caught up with him, and the best course of action was to undergo the procedure.
This year has been a rollercoaster ride for Hendriks, who began the season on the injured list to continue his treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He publicly revealed his shocking cancer diagnosis on January 8, later completed treatment on April 3, and announced he was cancer free on April 20. Hendriks eventually made a remarkable homecoming on May 29th in front of the home crowd, instantly making it the highlight of a White Sox season many would soon like to forget.
Hendriks is currently in the final year of a three-year, $54-million contract with the White Sox. He also has a club option for 2024 that comes with a $15 million buyout, which would be deferred through 2033.
As more details are made available, we will continue to update this story.
Be sure to follow us on social media @SoxOn35th for additional updates!
Featured Photo: © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
This was sad news to hear. Hendricks by all accounts is decent person and seems to genuinely likes it in Chicago. He and his wife have done a lot of charity work.
Now he must deal with this… I am sure the Sox and their poor training staff had a free hand in this outcome. I would not be surprised if he was rushed on his rehab from cancer.