White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks announced Sunday evening that he’s been diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
“My treatment begins tomorrow, and I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible,” Hendriks wrote in an Instagram post. “I know with the support of my wife, my family, my teammates and the Chicago White Sox organization, along with the treatment and care from my doctors, I will get through this.”
The 33-year-old, a 12-year veteran, has been one of the most effective relief pitchers in baseball over the last several years. Hendriks made the American League All-Star team in 2019, ’21, and ’22, finishing ninth in the AL Cy Young voting in ’20 with the Athletics and eighth with Chicago in ’21.
Hendriks has become a celebrated figure on the South Side, frequently engaging in charity work and openly supporting the LGBT community.
“Our thoughts and reactions at this time are for Liam the person, not Liam the player,” White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. “We will all do everything in our power to support our teammate and his family as they face this challenge, while also respecting their privacy.”
Hahn added that Chicago “[did] not expect to have any updates on Liam’s playing status prior to Opening Day at the very earliest.”
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a blood cancer that develops from white blood cells, affects about 80,000 Americans each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
