Red Sox ‘Very Close’ To Shutting Down All-Star Reliever For Season

BOSTON -- Liam Hendriks paused his rehab process in recent days after throwing outings for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester within the Boston Red Sox organization.

While the three-time All-Star still intends on taking the mound in his first season with the Red Sox, there's not a big window remaining in the season for him to do that. Alex Cora knows that the calendar may just be Hendriks' biggest obstacle back to the mound and that Boston is "very close" to keeping the reliever out for the remainder of 2024.

"As you know, we're running out of time," Cora told reporters at Fenway Park on Wednesday. "We have to make a decision of what we're going to do. Not expected, but it was part of the process. There was always that kind of situation that comes up."

Hendriks had Tommy John surgery late last season and hoped to debut for the Red Sox after signing with Boston in the offseason. He holds a 3.82 career ERA with 116 saves in his 13 seasons in MLB. The Red Sox have just 17 games remaining and trail by four games for the final American League playoff spot, leaving little time for a Hendriks debut for Boston.