FORT MYERS, Fla. — Liam Hendriks admitted he doesn’t deserve to be the Red Sox‘ closer.
“I think it’s been pretty well proven this spring training who deserves that spot after earning it all spring and that’s definitely not me,“ Hendriks said Thursday.
Hendriks retired the only batter he faced in a 2-1 loss to the Twins here at Hammond Stadium. It was a short appearance as the Red Sox simply wanted to get him into games on back-to-back days.
Aroldis Chapman has emerged as the clear favorite to win the closer job, as MassLive reported Tuesday. But manager Alex Cora, as he has done in the past, might not announce a closer before Opening Day, which is next Thursday in Texas.
”I’ve always said I wanted to win it but it’s not the end of the world if I don’t,” Hendriks said. “I’m going to go out there and give my best three outs, six outs or whatever they need me to do.
“Things will shake out however they shake out, but if you want to talk about the guy who’s looked the best in spring training, that’s Chapman,” Hendriks added. “It’s been unbelievable. He’s been 97 to 100 (mph) pretty much every outing and he’s looked crisp and has looked fantastic out there.”
Chapman also pitched here Thursday. He hurled a scoreless and hitless inning against the Twins. He struck out one and walked one. The 37-year-old has allowed two runs, three hits and five walks while striking out 14 in 7 ⅓ innings over eight Grapefruit League outings.
“He’s an impressive guy no matter what,” Hendriks said. “Whether it be mindset, whether it be his preparation, whether it be the routine that he goes through. He’s dialed in on what he needs to do and I’m excited to have a full season with him.”
The 36-year-old Hendriks has allowed seven runs, 14 hits (two homers) and no walks while striking out four in 6 ⅓ innings (seven outings) this spring.
“Obviously it hasn’t been my best spring training ever and we’ve been kind of searching through things a little bit but today was great,” Hendriks said. “I fell behind early but after that was pretty much dialed in and right where I need to be. And facing a guy like (Christian) Vazquez who I can usually never get out anyway, so that’s a good sign.”
Hendriks missed most of 2023 battling Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He returned to appear in five games for the White Sox before undergoing Tommy John surgery last Aug. 2. He spent the entire 2024 season rehabbing.
So he has gone approximately 20 months without pitching in a big league game.
“At that point I already knew that my elbow was gone,“ Hendriks said. ”And so I was just trying to fight as much time as I could. So I’m excited about getting out there, having that competition level, being in a bullpen where I actually get to compete and participate, which is huge.
“I’m excited to get out there and be a part of it,” Hendriks added. “It’s a great place to start in Texas, where even if it’s hot as (expletive), there’s a roof. They have a great mound, which is fantastic. Yeah, I’m excited for the season. We’ve got some dudes out there that I’m excited to see how they go as far as the season goes.”
Hendriks feels like he’s in a good spot exactly one week before Opening Day.
“I’ve been pretty open with the fact that it hasn’t been my best camp ever and I have been searching for things both physically and mentally,” he said. “But we’re in a good place mentally, and the physical side of things is coming along well.”
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
