TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 20: Liam Hendriks #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals during game four of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 20, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) Getty
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 21: Liam Hendriks #31 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Fenway Park on May 21, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images) Getty
Former Toronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever Liam Hendriks has officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball.
Hendriks pitched for the Blue Jays in 2014 and 2015. He made just three appearances for the club in 2014.
He posted a 2.92 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 64 2/3 innings in 2015. The right-hander allowed three runs over five postseason innings in 2015.
GettyTORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 20: Liam Hendriks #31 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals during game four of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on October 20, 2015 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
Hendriks announced his retirement on Instagram :
To the cities that adopted me, the fans that cheered for me, my family, and every umpire who definitely missed a strike call on the corner:
After years of staring down hitters, I have decided to officially retire from Major League Baseball. My arm has told me in no uncertain terms that it has exactly zero fastballs left in it, and my elbow has made it clear that throwing anything harder than a light breeze now requires a three-day recovery window.
To the hitters who let me strike them out: Thank you for the memories (and the stats). To the hitters who launched my pitches into orbit: Thank you for helping me practice my "stare blankly at the sky while turning around on the mound" face.
I will deeply miss the rush of coming out of the bullpen to close out a game in the ninth inning. I will not, however, miss sitting in a pitch-black video room watching endless tape of opposing hitters, getting my arm scraped raw by the athletic trainer every week, or the existential dread of facing Aaron Judge or Salvy Perez—who I am completely convinced treat my heater like a light afternoon snack.
I owe a massive debt of gratitude to my agent, a true miracle worker. It takes a serious talent to look a GM in the eye and convince them that my unhinged, on-mound screaming while sealing a win was just "elite leadership" worth an insane contract.
And a huge thank you to my wife for always believing in me, which was honestly a terrifying display of delusion on her part. Sticking by me through consecutive outings where I couldn't stop bouncing pitches into the dirt proves you either have unwavering faith, or you just really like the stadium chicken tenders.
As for what's next: My immediate retirement plans include testing whether my elbow can survive holding onto the leash when my dog sees a rabbit, and choosing a new hobby where being single-handedly responsible for losing a game doesn't lead to ESPN SportsCenter breaking down my psychological collapse in slow motion for the next 24 hours.
Thanks for the ride. It's been an absolute blast.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 21: Liam Hendriks #31 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Mets at Fenway Park on May 21, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)
Hendriks, 37, made his MLB debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2011. The Twins cut him loose after the 2013 season.
Hendriks was primarily a starting pitcher with the Twins. He had a brief stint with the Kansas City Royals in 2014. He finally broke out with the Blue Jays in 2015.
Toronto sold high on Hendriks, trading him to the Oakland Athletics after the 2015 season.
Hendriks spent five seasons with the Athletics organization. He then pitched three years with the Chicago White Sox .
Hendriks battled through Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (he has fully recovered) and injuries, keeping him out of the league for most of 2023 and and all of 2024. He made 14 appearances with the Boston Red Sox in 2025, then spent the 2026 season in the minor leagues.
In his 14 MLB seasons, Hendriks posted a 3.88 ERA with 739 strikeouts and 116 saves over 663 2/3 innings. He is a three-time All-Star and two-time Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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