The Chicago Cubs took a shot on Liam Hendriks in mid-May, hoping the veteran right-hander might still have one more bullpen run in him. It never got that far.
With Chicago’s pitching staff already unraveling, the Cubs signed the former All-Star closer to a minor-league deal, knowing a return to the majors would be a long shot. Hendriks spent time rehabbing in Arizona, then made four scoreless appearances with Triple-A Iowa. Even with that work in the books, he never got a call to Wrigley Field.
Now, the 14-year MLB career of the Australian reliever is over.
Hendriks announced his retirement in a social media post that matched the personality he carried throughout his career, full of humor and wit. He leaves the game after a remarkable climb from DFA status to becoming one of baseball’s most feared late-inning arms.
At his peak, Hendriks was one of the best closers in the sport, winning Reliever of the Year honors twice and piling up 116 career saves. He was a three-time All-Star and, for a stretch, a ninth-inning hammer hitters simply did not want to see.
His career took an even bigger turn in 2023, when he revealed a Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis. Hendriks beat cancer, returned to the mound months later and was named AL Comeback Player of the Year with the Chicago White Sox.
That comeback didn’t last long, though, because Tommy John surgery followed. He missed the entire 2024 season, then made it back to pitch for the Boston Red Sox in 2025.
The Cubs never gave him that big-league chance, even with their bullpen in rough shape this summer. But Hendriks’ path through the Athletics, White Sox, Twins, Blue Jays, Red Sox and Royals leaves behind a career that was anything but ordinary.
In Other News...
Manny Machado Just Added More Heat To Cubs Padres Rivalry
The Cubs-Padres playoff matchup already had plenty of edge to it, and Manny Machado just poured a little more fuel on the fire before the first pitch. During a press conference ahead of San Diegos Wild Card series against Chicago, Machado made a viral comment in response to a question from reporter Karthik Venkataraman about the reporters attire, an exchange that quickly traveled beyond the room and added another layer of attention to a series that was already going to be watched closely.
For the Cubs, its one more reminder that this postseason meeting comes with a little extra bite, even before the teams step on the field. San Diego and Chicago are set to open the series Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT, and with both clubs carrying plenty of pressure into October, the chatter surrounding Machados comment only sharpens the spotlight on a matchup that was already drawing eyes. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Face Immediate Pressure After Brutal Wild-Card Opener
A lopsided start in San Diego left the Cubs with an immediate hole to climb out of after Game 1 of the wild-card series, where the Padres rolled to an 8-0 win and grabbed a 1-0 lead. Michael King set the tone with seven strong innings and eight strikeouts, while Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts helped power the Padres offense in a game that quickly tilted away from Chicago.
Now the Cubs have no margin left as the series moves to Game 2 on Wednesday. After getting shut down in the opener, Chicago has to find a way to steady itself fast, because the pressure shifts right back onto a team that was already facing a must-response spot from the moment the final outs were recorded. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Crow-Armstrong Just Reached Another Level Of Cubs Stardom
Pete Crow-Armstrongs rise with the Cubs has already given the organization a rare kind of young star power, and now it has spilled into the collectibles market in a major way. His 2024 Topps Chrome Update MLB Debut Patch Autograph card, featuring a patch from the jersey he wore in his big-league debut, just sold for $1.098 million at auction, a price that underlines how quickly his profile has grown beyond the box score.
The cards grading only adds to the appeal, with PSA calling it Gem Mint 10 and the autograph earning the same mark. For Cubs fans, the sale is another sign of how Crow-Armstrongs historic 2023 season still hangs over everything he does, after he became the first Cub to reach at least 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season. What comes next for his on-field stardom may matter even more, and that is the part worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]