Liam Hendriks continues to ramp up his Tommy John recovery with an eye toward joining the Boston Red Sox bullpen.
That developed on Sunday when he took the mound for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox. He got the three outs he desired and made some progress in a game setting.
"I felt alright," Hendriks told reporters, per team-provided video. "It was nice to go back out there. Obviously been a little bit for me. ... Was able to get three quick outs and stay under the pitch count, which was what I was hoping for. Take it to the next one in Portland on Thursday."
Hendriks added that he needs back-to-back days of throwing for his progression to be up to his standard. As he compares video from past seasons, Hendriks has his list of what he needs from himself to be back on the mound competitively.
Story continues below advertisement
"Obviously, better on the kill pitch, the two-strike pitches," Hendriks added. "Getting that a little bit better. After that one, that's about it, really. As long as I'm around the zone and aiming to go glove-side with the heater, that's pretty much it. Couple little things. Today, I felt a lot closer than I did with my lives, which is nice. Hopefully, it continues to progress."
With Kenley Jansen and Chris Martin settling back into the late innings for the Red Sox, Hendriks hopes to be the next major contributor to the Boston bullpen.
"Hopefully good to go here shortly," Hendriks shared. "Felt decent today, which is good. Definitely an upstep from where I was with my lives. Having the repercussions definitely helped."
Featured image via William Purnell/Imagn Images