Liam Hendriks is hanging up his cleats. The longtime major-league reliever announced his retirement from baseball on Tuesday, closing the book on a 14-year career that took him from struggling starter to one of the game's most dominant closers — and, most memorably, through a cancer diagnosis and an inspirational return to the mound.
The 37-year-old Australian made the announcement in a social media post laced with his trademark humour: "My arm has told me in no uncertain terms that it has exactly zero fastballs left in it," he wrote, "and my elbow has made it clear that throwing anything harder than a light breeze now requires a three-day recovery window."
From castoff to elite closer
Hendriks pitched for six clubs — Minnesota, Toronto, Kansas City, Oakland, the Chicago White Sox and Boston — and appeared in 490 games, going 33-36 with a 3.88 ERA and 116 saves. He was a three-time All-Star, first in 2019 with the Athletics and then in back-to-back seasons with the White Sox, when he posted 38 and 37 saves. He won the American League Reliever of the Year award in both 2020 and 2021.
The comeback that defined him
The most remarkable chapter came off the field. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in early 2023, Hendriks completed chemotherapy that April, announced he was cancer-free and was back pitching in the majors by May. He went on to win the 2023 AL Comeback Player of the Year award and received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPYs that summer.
Injuries then took their toll. Tommy John surgery in August 2023 cost him a season, and after a brief return with the Red Sox in 2025 — just 13 and two-thirds innings — Boston declined his 2026 option. He spent this year on minor-league deals with the Twins and Cubs without making it back to the majors.
Beyond the numbers, Hendriks leaves a legacy of candour and charity work, including seven nominations for the Roberto Clemente Award. "I will deeply miss the rush of coming out of the bullpen to close out a game in the ninth inning," he wrote. The game's loss is entirely understandable.
Sources:
- Three-time All-Star pitcher Liam Hendriks, 37, retires
- Longtime reliever Liam Hendriks announces retirement from baseball
The 37-year-old Australian made the announcement in a social media post laced with his trademark humour: "My arm has told me in no uncertain terms that it has exactly zero fastballs left in it," he wrote, "and my elbow has made it clear that throwing anything harder than a light breeze now requires a three-day recovery window."
From castoff to elite closer
Hendriks pitched for six clubs — Minnesota, Toronto, Kansas City, Oakland, the Chicago White Sox and Boston — and appeared in 490 games, going 33-36 with a 3.88 ERA and 116 saves. He was a three-time All-Star, first in 2019 with the Athletics and then in back-to-back seasons with the White Sox, when he posted 38 and 37 saves. He won the American League Reliever of the Year award in both 2020 and 2021.
The comeback that defined him
The most remarkable chapter came off the field. Diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in early 2023, Hendriks completed chemotherapy that April, announced he was cancer-free and was back pitching in the majors by May. He went on to win the 2023 AL Comeback Player of the Year award and received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPYs that summer.
Injuries then took their toll. Tommy John surgery in August 2023 cost him a season, and after a brief return with the Red Sox in 2025 — just 13 and two-thirds innings — Boston declined his 2026 option. He spent this year on minor-league deals with the Twins and Cubs without making it back to the majors.
Beyond the numbers, Hendriks leaves a legacy of candour and charity work, including seven nominations for the Roberto Clemente Award. "I will deeply miss the rush of coming out of the bullpen to close out a game in the ninth inning," he wrote. The game's loss is entirely understandable.
Sources:
- Three-time All-Star pitcher Liam Hendriks, 37, retires
- Longtime reliever Liam Hendriks announces retirement from baseball
