The Boston Red Sox are scheduled to play the Texas Rangers on Opening Day as they’ll go up against a familiar face in Nathan Eovaldi. However, before the Sox take the field at 4:05 p.m. ET, they made several roster moves that will affect the big league roster to start the season.
According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the Red Sox announced that veteran reliever Liam Hendriks was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Mar. 24) with right elbow inflammation.
Red Sox news: Liam Hendriks has right elbow inflammation and is going on the 15-day IL.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) March 27, 2025
As you can imagine, this is not the news Boston fans expected to hear in the hours leading up to the first pitch from Texas.
The 36-year-old did not have the best Spring Training as he competed with Aroldis Chapman for the closer job. Red Sox manager Alex Cora named Chapman the closer, as Hendriks struggled on the mound with a 9.95 ERA and a save across seven appearances.
The veteran relief pitcher allowed 14 hits and seven earned runs (two home runs) while striking out four batters in 6.1 innings pitched. Nonetheless, the Red Sox hope it's only inflammation for Hendriks, as he missed the entire 2024 season after dealing with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.
Boston signed the veteran pitcher to a two-year, $10 million last offseason, knowing he would miss the 2024 season. When healthy, Hendriks is one of the best relievers in the league and an All-Star.
He was named to the All-Star Game twice In his three years with the Chicago White Sox and was an All-Star in 2019 with the Oakland Athletics.
With Hendriks on the IL for the next couple of weeks, Boston will hope Chapman can build off his performance in Spring Training (1-0, 2.45 ERA in eight appearances) and be the anchor of the bullpen.