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In January, Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks announced he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
On Wednesday, he rang the victory bell after he completed his final round of chemotherapy:
MLB @MLB
After five months of treatment, Liam Hendriks has finished his final round of chemo! 💚
Via: Hendriks_31 on Instagram pic.twitter.com/qGKM1IOWzE
Hendriks thanked his family, friends and fans for their love and support in a message on his Instagram page and provided a look at the process he underwent:
“5 months ago my life changed forever. You never think you will be the one who hears ‘you have cancer’ but there I was… in shock and fear not knowing what comes next.
“I started treatment after SO many life altering appointments on January 9th, 2023.
“Every 28 days, I would have another round.
“Every 28 days, I got closer to the PET scan that would dictate how many more rounds there would be.
“Every 28 days, I got closer to this moment.
“These past 5 months have been both the quickest and slowest of my life. Being able to ring this victory bell has been one of the most emotional things I’ve ever done. I cannot thank my team of doctors and nurses enough for coming up with the best medical plan for me. No words can express the gratitude I have for them saving my life.”
Wednesday’s development came after Hendriks addressed White Sox fans ahead of Monday’s home opener with a message.
Chicago White Sox @whitesox
A special message from Liam Hendriks: pic.twitter.com/kSE1bjBkZD
Attention will eventually turn to when the right-hander can return to the bullpen, especially after general manager Rick Hahn told reporters his progress is why the team didn’t place him on the 60-day injured list at the start of the season.
Hendriks has been excellent for the White Sox as an All-Star in each of the past two seasons, leading the league with 38 saves in 2021 and posting a 2.81 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 85 strikeouts and 37 saves in 57.2 innings last year.
Chicago is 3-3 without him to this point after Wednesday’s win over the San Francisco Giants.
