Boston – Liam Hendrix knew the number such as it saves his career or ERA: 680 days.
The 36-year-old Right-Hander returned to a Major League roster on Saturday with Boston Red Sox to make his first major league appearance since June 9, 2023.
“It sounds like at least a thousand,” Handrick said, smiling in the middle of the clubhouse. “It seems much longer than that. It is a long and difficult journey to reach here.”
Hendrix was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodkin lymphoma in December 2022 and a three-time all-star returned to the mound on 29 May 2023. He performed five, went to the injured list with swelling of the right elbow and Tommy John surgery, which was August 2.
After the season, he was voted for the AL Comeback Player of the Year for 2023.
Handrick performed six minor league rehabilitation last August and three in this spring. Red Sax activated him from the 15-day injured list on Saturday and chose the right-handed Hunter Dobins till Triple-e-Warsster.
A popular player is known for charitable work, including providing T-shirts for team employees at last year’s season-ending staff party, with Hendrix questioned his ability during spring training.
“When I was 96 (MPH) in spring, they were still taking very comfortable swings on it and it was something that was really interrupting me,” said Hendrick. “It was really a mental struggle what the difference was.”
In 2019, an all-star with Oklaland and White Sox in 2021 and ’22, Handric could not find out what he was doing differently after surgery.
He said, “All the data said it was the same, but define the things that make me as pitching,” he said. “One of the things that gave me the ability to do well was to jump for fastball and jump where it plays a little and meets people.”
When he was sidelined, his wife Christie pushed him to return to the field.
He said, “There is a lot that the bus is just visible every day and is making sure you get so much better,” he said, before joking. “He and my wife (from) are still on IL. It was one of the inspiring factors, as well.”
