With Hendriks away for cancer treatment, White Sox have multiple options at closer

Before announcing on his Instagram page Sunday that he was beginning treatment for Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on Monday, Liam Hendriks' name frequently came up in trade rumors.

There's little doubt the White Sox's all-star closer has value, both on the mound and in the clubhouse.

"He takes the ball whenever you call him," Sox relief pitcher Jake Diekman said. "He throws a ton of strikes, strikes everyone out. Weak contact everywhere. A little psycho. Gotta love it."

After Hendriks went public with his health issue, there was an outpouring of support from MLB teams and the Major League Baseball Players Association on social media.

White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz also wished Hendriks well.

"Anyone that knows Liam knows he is a fighter," Katz wrote. "He is one of the toughest human beings I've come across. We're all with you and (wife) Kristi."

In a statement, general manager Rick Hahn expressed similar sentiments and noted the Sox "do not expect to have any updates on Liam's playing status prior to Opening Day at the very earliest."

The game goes on and the White Sox are going to need a new closer until Hendriks returns. Fortunately, they have plenty of in-house candidates:

Kendall Graveman

Heading into the second season of a three-year, $24 million contract, Graveman was Hendriks' primary setup man in 2022.

When Hendriks was on the injured list for nearly a month with a right forearm strain before the all-star break, Graveman stepped up and recorded 3 saves.

Graveman was a standout closer with the Mariners in 2021, saving 10 games while posting a 0.82 ERA before being traded to the Astros.

Joe Kelly

When healthy, Kelly throws a fastball that reaches 100 mph and he's had experience pitching the ninth inning with the Red Sox and Dodgers.

The 34-year-old righty was limited to 43 games last year, his first with the White Sox.

While battling arm and hamstring injuries, Kelly was 1-3 with a 6.08 ERA and 1 save.

Feeling good at the end of the season, Kelly allowed only 1 earned run and struck out 16 over his final 8 innings and is expecting similar results this year.

Reynaldo Lopez

A promising starter in the Sox's rotation from 2017-20, Lopez has been pitching out of the bullpen for most of the past two seasons and he's warmed up to the switch.

Last year, the power-armed righty was 6-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 65⅓ innings and Lopez fared well in high-leverage situations.

Garrett Crochet

The left-hander missed the entire 2022 season after having Tommy John surgery in April.

It's doubtful Crochet is going to be ready for Opening Day this year, but he's been throwing since September and has the stuff to close.

In 59 relief appearances in 2020-21, Crochet was 3-5 with a 2.82 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 54⅓ innings.