Chicago White Sox closing pitcher Liam Hendriks, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in January, will begin his final round of chemo Monday, he announced on Twitter.
A special message from Liam Hendriks: pic.twitter.com/kSE1bjBkZD
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 3, 2023
“Happy Opening Day Sox fans,” Hendriks greeted the South Side faithful in a video posted to Twitter, “just want to let you know I’m starting my last round of chemo today. So I’ll see you guys on the South Side soon. Play ball.”
“In recent days we’ve received positive news on Liam’s progress,” White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn said Wednesday, according to CBS. “He remains in treatment, and still has some work ahead of him. However, he is making very good progress.”
The good news prompted the team to avoid placing Hendriks on the 60-day injured list, which would keep him out for at least two months. Hahn said the White Sox would “be able to get a little more specific” on Hendriks’ timetable by the end of April, according to NBC Sports.
Hendriks signed a unique three-year, $54 million deal with the White Sox before the 2021 season and made the National League All-Star team in both of his years with the club.
The closer is one of a very small number of Australian-born players in the majors and the highest paid Aussie in MLB history.
He was named American League Reliever of the Year in 2020 after pitching to a 1.78 ERA in 24 appearances during the pandemic-shortened season.
His non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis is shared by approximately 80,000 people each year according to the National Cancer Institute, which estimates the disease has a 73.8 percent five-year relative survival rate.