Injuries have been an unfortunate theme for the Boston Red Sox in 2024.
Particularly in the second half of the season, the Red Sox bullpen has been stretched thin. Trade deadline acquisitions Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia were ineffective before suffering injuries, and standouts Justin Slaten and Chris Martin spent significant time on the injured list as well.
The Red Sox hoped the stress would be alleviated by the return of three-time All-Star Liam Hendriks, who spent most of the season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. However, after feeling discomfort following his most recent rehab outing last week, Hendriks may be in question to return at all this season.
Hendriks had originally hoped to return for this past weekend's series against the Chicago White Sox, but the setback caused the timeline to become murky. According to manager Alex Cora, a 2024 return to big-league competition is still the goal.
"I think for now, we've just got to make sure he bounces back, that's the most important thing. That's the goal, yeah, but this is a setback, and this is part of the process," manager Alex Cora said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com.
Hendriks last pitched on Thursday before experiencing tightness in his throwing elbow. He could either throw more minor-league rehab outings or simply throw side sessions to big-league hitters in hopes of preparing himself for a return to game action.
"I don't like the word setback," Hendriks said, per Browne. "Speed hump. I feel like I'm still there. I took a couple of days off throwing these last couple of days. Just getting some treatment and making sure everything is hunky-dory and played catch today, felt great.
"We'll see how it recovers tomorrow and go from there. The goal is still me playing this year. That has never wavered."
In lighter news, Hendriks was also named the Red Sox's nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award on Monday. The 35-year-old has been nominated six times for the prestigious honor, given to the Major League Baseball player who most exemplifies community service and philanthropy.
A recent cancer survivor, Hendriks has spent extensive time with local pediatric cancer patients in his first season in Boston, while appearing in an ad campaign for Stand Up To Cancer.
The Red Sox are happy to have Hendriks in their clubhouse in 2024, but they still hope he can contribute something on the mound. He's a big part of their plan to win in 2025, and getting big-league innings under his belt now will be a huge step toward a full season next year.
