Liam Hendriks, who made an inspirational return to the mound this season , will miss the rest of 2023 after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow Wednesday.
The Chicago White Sox reliever appeared in five games before heading to the injured list with right elbow inflammation. Dr. Keith Meister at TMI Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington, Texas, performed the procedure.
Hendriks’ recovery time is expected to take 12-14 months.
“It’s been a tough year, but he’s a tough guy and I know he’s going to pull through and do whatever he has to do,” catcher Seby Zavala said.
The right-hander has touched the baseball world and beyond with his comeback.
in January that he was beginning treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, later detailing it was stage 4. He completed treatment on April 3 and announced he was .
Hendriks made his first appearance of the season at Guaranteed Rate Field. He received multiple standing ovations during the evening, and members of both teams stood and clapped when he entered the game in the eighth inning.
He went 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA, three strikeouts and one save in five relief outings this season.
Hendriks, 34, went on the IL on June 10.
While sidelined, he continued to make an impact. He met with countless cancer survivors at ballparks across the country before games. Last month, he received the during the ESPYs.
And he has offered pitching advice to members of the bullpen.
“He said whatever I need, he’s there for me,” Sox reliever Gregory Santos said through an interpreter Wednesday at Globe Life Field, before the news of Hendriks’ surgery was announced. “I am definitely going to take his word. If I need any advice or something I know that he can give me, I will ask him.”
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