Hendriks strikes out two in AAA debut for Cubs

Hendriks was with the Twins to begin the season, but had an opt-out clause that he enacted prior to the end of spring training. His four-seam fastball was averaging below 94 mph this spring, and he’s missed significant time with injuries over the last few seasons. He remains a feel-good story because of all he has had to overcome over the last few seasons, but his days of being an impactful fantasy reliever are likely over.

Liam Hendriks had an opt-out in his contract and presumably informed the Twins that he would like to exercise that. The veteran allowed three runs on nine hits in seven innings this spring, while striking out five and walking five. His four-seam fastball averaged just 93.9 mph on Thursday against the Red Sox, and he gave up two hard-hit balls in one inning of work. With Hendriks no longer on the roster, the Twins could split the ninth inning between Cole Sands and Taylor Rogers, depending on the handedness of the hitters due up in the ninth.

Hendricks has given up one run over four innings this spring, striking out two in the process. The 37-year-old averaged 93.6 mph with his fastball today, which is down four mph from his last time healthy and effective with the White Sox in 2022. He probably doesn’t project as an above average reliever at this point, but even if he’s just adequate, he might wind up with a fair number of saves in a weak Twins pen.

The 37-year-old hurler has thrown just 18 2/3 innings in the big leagues over the past three seasons, but as long as he’s healthy he could wind up being an integral part of the Twins’ bullpen. If he looks strong this spring, he could compete with Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa for save chances, making him worthy of a late-round flier in deeper mixed leagues.

It’s a full circle for Hendriks, who signed with the Twins as a teenager and made his major league debut for the club in 2011. One certainly can’t count on Hendriks staying healthy at age 37 after throwing just 18 2/3 innings in the majors the last three years, but if he does, there’s a good chance he’ll wind up leading the Twins in saves, given the state of their pen. If he impresses this spring, he could be worth a flier.

Hendriks is facing an extended absence after undergoing elbow surgery back in late September. The 36-year-old former closer wound up making just 14 relief appearances for the Red Sox during his two years with the club. It’s unclear whether there will be any interest on the open market, but he’s unlikely to find himself in any high leverage spots in the near future.

It’s officially a right elbow ulnar nerve transposition surgery with posterior interosseous nerve release. Hendriks insisted throughout the second half of the season that he intends to continue pitching, but he’s obviously not going to be an option for Boston during the postseason. The 36-year-old will likely hit free agency this offseason, assuming the Red Sox decline their end of his mutual option for 2026. It’s unclear at the moment how this latest surgical procedure impacts his readiness for next spring.

Cora added that Hendriks has been shut down from throwing after experiencing forearm tightness a couple weeks ago. The latest development slams the door on Hendriks potentially making it back to Boston’s bullpen mix for the postseason. The 36-year-old former closer has been out since late May recovering from hip inflammation.

This is interesting. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters over the weekend that he didn’t expect Hendriks to pitch again this season. The 36-year-old veteran called that remark “a slip of the tongue” while speaking to reporters on Monday when he also expressed optimism that he’ll return before the end of the regular season. He’s been out since late May with right hip inflammation and remains without a definitive return timetable.

While they aren’t ruling it out completely, it sounds like the Red Sox would be very surprised if the 36-year-old hurler is able to make it back before the end of the season. He has been shelved since May 28 due to inflammation in his right hip.