White Sox closer Liam Hendriks announces he's in remission after chemotherapy: 'I'm cancer free'
Hendriks was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma earlier this year
By
Dayn Perry
•
1 min read
Back in January, All-Star Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks revealed he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer of the lymph system. He promptly began treatment and publicly expressed optimism that he'd be able to overcome the disease.
The first promising step came earlier this month when Hendriks completed his final round of chemotherapy. On Thursday, the news got even better when Hendriks took to social media to announce that his doctors have informed him that he's in remission and is now cancer-free:
It's still not certain when Hendriks will be able to return to the White Sox. Obviously, once he decides he's ready to work his way into game form, a long ramp-up period will be required. The White Sox did not place Hendricks on the 60-day injured list to begin the season, which theoretically means he could return before the end of May. That, however, seems unlikely. For now, there's far more important good news for Hendriks and the club to celebrate.
Whatever the path forward, the White Sox at some point will be getting back one of the best closers in baseball. The 34-year-old Australia native has pitched in 12 big-league seasons, amassing a 3.81 ERA (109 ERA+) and a 4.58 strikeout-to-walk ratio to go with 115 saves. He's a three-time All-Star and a two-time winner of the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award.
