Chicago White Sox right-hander Liam Hendricks was placed on the active roster Monday and is set to make his return after recovering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hendriks, 34, was diagnosed in December with Stage 4 cancer after he started showing symptoms like swollen lymph nodes during the 2022 regular season. He missed spring training while undergoing chemotherapy that began in the winter.
In six rehab outings with Triple-A Charlotte, Hendriks had a 10.80 ERA in five innings. The late-inning reliever also threw live batting practice to teammates at Cleveland and Detroit on the club’s most recent road trip.
On April 3, Hendriks underwent his last round of chemotherapy and on April 20 he announced that he was cancer free.
“His numbers were really good,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol told reporters after Hendricks threw 19 pitches on Friday at Detroit. “He ticked up from Cleveland. Really good step in the right direction.”
The White Sox are set to begin a six-game homestand, starting with a three-game series that opens Monday against the Los Angeles Angels.
To make room on the active roster, the White Sox placed right-hander Jimmy Lambert, 28, on the injured list with ankle inflammation. Lambert was 2-1 with a 5.91 ERA in 23 appearances (one start) and is 4-4 with a 4.32 ERA in 71 career appearances (six starts) over the past four seasons.
Hendriks, who was an All-Star for the third time in four seasons in 2022, is 31-34 over his career with a 2.81 ERA and 115 saves in 12 seasons for the Minnesota Twins (2011-13), Kansas City Royals (2014), Toronto Blue Jays (2014-15), Oakland Athletics (2016-20) and White Sox (2021-22).
–Field Level Media