The Boston Red Sox are hoping to put an improved team on the field in 2025 after adding starting pitchers Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler along with All-Star 3rd baseman Alex Bregman. They have gotten off to an encouraging start after opening the season with a 5-2 road victory over the Texas Rangers. However, the Red Sox have to contend with multiple injuries at this point and the latest concerns relief pitcher Liam Hendriks.
The Red Sox placed Hendriks on the 15-day injured list prior to the game, and there are some concerns after the veteran reliever endured a difficult spring.
Hendriks has inflammation in his right elbow and he will be examined by Dallas-area physician Dr. Keith Meister in the coming days. Meister performed Tommy John surgery on Hendriks in 2023.
Hendriks last pitched March 20, and he reported a problem with his arm shortly thereafter. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the team does not want to take any unnecessary chances with Hendriks at this point in the year.
“It’s the smart thing to do,” Cora said. “We don’t want him to grind. He’s been through a lot the last few years. Hopefully it’s something minor.”
Hendriks has been through illness and injury
Hendriks had been an ace closer with the Chicago White Sox and the Oakland A’s before that. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December 2022.
He returned to action in the 2023 season and pitched in five games before he needed Tommy John surgery. Hendriks had hoped to pitch for the Red Sox late in the 2024 regular season but he had several setbacks after rehabbing at the minor-league level and did not appear in a regular-season game for the Red Sox.
Since Hendriks was placed on the injured list, it opened up a roster spot for reliever Cooper Criswell. He had battled left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino for the final roster spot, but both pitchers are on the active roster.
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