Sox home-opener notebook: Hendriks says he's beginning last round of chemo treatment
The White Sox are missing two key pieces in their bullpen: Liam Hendriks and Garrett Crochet.
Fortunately, it's looking like both relief pitchers will be back relatively soon.
Hendriks is still receiving treatment for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the all-star closer could return in late May or early June.
Appearing on the Guaranteed Rate Field video board moments before Monday's first pitch, Hendriks wished Sox fans a happy home opener and said he was beginning his last round of chemotherapy Monday.
After missing the 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Crochet was throwing bullpens in spring training and he might be back with the Sox in mid-May.
"Until we have Garrett and Liam on rehab assignments, it's tough to really give a timeline on their returns," GM Rick Hahn said. "Both are progressing and both are not on the 60-day IL for a reason. We are not quite there to give you a time frame but we are headed the right away and currently have a very real chance of having them both back prior to 60 days into the year."
Temper, temper:
In the second inning, White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn swung at a 3-0 pitch and grounded out to Giants starter Anthony DeSclafani.
It was a seemingly nothing play, but DeSclafani had words for Vaughn as he headed back to the Sox's dugout.
DeSclafani said Vaughn was upset he threw a slider on the 3-0 count and said something as he ran to first base.
"It is what it is," DeSclafani said. "We're all competing. There's no ill feelings."
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol was asked about the flare-up.
"I'm not sure," he said. "I'm not sure. It didn't get too far so I'm not going to get into that too much."
Satisfying split:
After splitting a series, shrugged shoulders typically trump slaps on the back.
But as the White Sox gathered Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field for their home opener against the Giants, they were understandably upbeat after going 2-2 against the defending World Series champion Astros to start the season in Houston.
The mood obviously changed after the Sox were pounded by San Francisco in their home opener, but that will happen over the long season.
"I was talking to someone earlier today and we were talking about the Bears season," Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "This is like drawing conclusions of the second quarter of their first game, which we'll all do. But we'll all be wrong. The fact of the matter is it is a small sample but we should take some satisfaction in the fact we went into an extraordinarily difficult place to play, played four straight games to start the season which you tend not to do, and we were in every game and managed to split with the world champs.
"In my personal opinion, that's the toughest place to play in baseball right now."
The White Sox won the season opener 3-2, held a 3-0 lead in Game 2 vs. Houston before falling 6-3, lost 6-4 in Game 3 after leading 3-2, and won the series finale Sunday 6-3.
"We were in a hostile environment against a really, really good team that grinds out at-bats," Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. "They don't strike out. They foul off a lot of pitches, a lot of good pitches to stay in at-bats. Our starters did a really good job. I can't say that enough. For us to go at least five innings and still be in a ballgame four games straight at Houston, it's a really good feat."