Former Royals pitcher to return to big stage after defeating cancer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Liam Hendriks, a closer for the Chicago White Sox, announced his return to baseball Monday after his battle with Stage 4, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Hendriks has spent the past five months battling cancer with his last appearance taking place against the Minnesota Twins in early October of 2022. He started appointments and treatments on January 9, 2023, continuing rounds of treatment every 28 days. His chemotherapy was completed on April 5 and announced he was officially in remission two weeks following.

The ball club sent him on his rehab assignment on May 3 where he allowed six earned runs in five innings, striking out five and walking one in six games with Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte. Sunday the White Sox announced that he would be activated on Monday.

He returns to the Royals’ AL Central foe that is sitting at 22-23 and fourth in the division. Before his time with the Sox, he took the mound for Oakland, Toronto, Minnesota, and Kansas City. For the boys in blue Hendriks went 0-2 in 2014 with a 4.66 ERA in six games pitched.

The team has yet to announce when the three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year will make his next appearance for the team that has gone 4-3 against Kansas City this season.

The White Sox host the Angels for a three-game homestand beginning Monday night at 7:10 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

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