After long road back to White Sox, Hendriks focused on becoming elite closer again

Liam Hendriks is as emotional as they come, and that's why the tears were flowing and the nerves were tight at times during his return to the White Sox Monday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

"Getting out there, I did take a minute and step and look around the crowd and soak it all in," the White Sox's all-star closer said. "Getting out there and doing it that way was great. It was definitely emotional."

Hendriks deserved all the applause and love he got from the White Sox's dugout, the Angels' dugout and the crowd of 23,599.

Before he threw his first pitch to Matt Thaiss, the Angels' catcher stepped out of the batter's box.

"For everything he went through, battled back, and to get out onto the field, it's a huge accomplishment for him," Thaiss said. "I think everyone in here is extremely excited for him, too."

In early December, the 34-year-old relief pitcher learned he had Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Less than six months later, he was back on the mound doing what he loves - and is very good at.

In typical Hendriks fashion, he was critical of his debut outing.

Coming on in the eighth inning with the Sox trailing 4-3, he gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Los Angeles went on to win 6-4.

"It is what it is, and I look at it from a point that if I didn't give up 2 runs, that's a tie game and we are looking at a chance to win," Hendriks said.

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said he noticed a glum looking Hendriks in the postgame clubhouse.

"That's why he is who he is, that's why he's done what he's done," Grifol said. "That's why he pitches the ninth (inning), and he'll do it again at some point. After the game, I see him in his locker and he's not happy. That's just him."

Hendriks is one of the best closers in baseball and he ranked first in saves (114) and strikeouts (357) and second in ERA (2.27) from 2019-22.

There is little doubt he'll get back to pitching the ninth inning for the Sox at some point, but Hendriks doesn't want anything handed to him.

"I'll never be OK with mediocrity," he said. "I'll never be OK with not being at the back end of the bullpen. But in saying that, I need to earn it. I need to work. The guys have been throwing well out there. But at the end of the day, that's mine.

"But as I said, I need to earn it. There's no freebies. I will get there and I will earn it myself."

When he's at his best, Hendriks gets ahead of hitters and puts them away. He didn't have any strike outs against Los Angeles in his debut, which is understandable given the lengthy layoff.

With that being said, the outgoing Australian is not making looking for any sympathy.

"It's just not quite coming out at 99 (mph) yet, but that'll come," Hendriks said. "I have no doubt of that. Now, it's just making sure I throw strikes on that breaking ball. I didn't have the killer instinct that I'm used to with two strikes. Usually when I get two strikes, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that I'm punching them out, in my eyes at least. I didn't quite have that (Monday). It'll come."

His mere presence on the field and in the clubhouse is more than enough for now.

"I think anytime someone goes through something as trying as that, you never really know what to expect," White Sox starter Michael Kopech said. "For him to come back and have a pretty emotional response from the fans, from himself, from his family for sure, from the team, and to go out there and still be as electric as he is, he still has some of the best stuff in the game after going through what he's gone through, it's impressive.

"It's heartwarming, it's motivating. Just having him back as part of the team is a big plus for us, a big plus for him."