The Chicago White Sox will be welcoming back a familiar face, and one who is a three-time All-Star.
The team announced Sunday that closer Liam Hendriks, who announced April 20 that he was in remission from his battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is set to make his return after missing the first two months of the 2023 season and will be reinstated to the active roster Monday. The White Sox made the announcement in a video message shared on Twitter that had tributes from players and coaches, welcoming him back to the roster.
Hendriks, 34, posted his own message Sunday on social media, one on Instagram in which he shared a video of him throwing off a mound with the message: “See you soon Southside,” a nod to the part of Chicago in which the White Sox play. The end of the video had Monday’s date.
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At the beginning of May, Hendriks started a rehab assignment with Chicago’s Triple-A Charlotte affiliate, making six appearances with the minor league club before the White Sox opted to bring him back to Chicago two weeks ago.
“It hasn’t changed my outlook on life, but it’s definitely made me miss being in this clubhouse,” Hendriks said on May 3 in his first media session since he announced his diagnosis in January. “It’s made me miss being a part of the team.”
On May 19, Hendriks threw 20 pitches of live batting practice and had been ramping up his workload in preparation for his return to the mound.
Hendriks shared the news of his diagnosis in January and had been posting updates about his treatment progress and rounds of chemotherapy.
Hendriks, a Perth, Australia native, has pitched in the majors for 12 seasons − the last two with the White Sox after he signed as a free agent on Jan. 15, 2021. After short stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and Kansas City Royals, Hendriks signed in 2016 with the Oakland Athletics, who converted him to a closer in 2019 as he made his first All-Star team. He made two more All-Star appearances as a member of the White Sox, where he recorded a career-high 38 saves in 2021 and 37 in 2022.
He has 115 saves and a 3.81 ERA over 12 seasons with Minnesota, Toronto, Kansas City, Oakland and Chicago.
The White Sox have struggled this season, posting a 22-33 record, which is fourth in the AL Central.
Contributing: Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Liam Hendriks to return to Chicago White Sox after cancer treatment