QUINIX Sport News: Red Sox’ Liam Hendriks had been counting the days — literally — until his return

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BOSTON — While he was rehabbing from 2023 Tommy John surgery, Liam Hendriks never really doubted that he would return to the mound.

But to put his comeback into perspective, he did the math. Or, more accurately, he had Google do the math for me.

“Six hundred and eighty days later. That’s the exact number of days I was gone. Since June 9, 2023,” revealed the Red Sox reliever, who was activated from the IL Saturday morning. “It feels like at least 1,000. It feels like a hell of a lot longer than that. It’s been a long and arduous journey to get here. But now I’m here and I’m actually (eager) to go out there and do what these guys pay me to do.”

His journey, predictably, was not without some setbacks. Last September, he had anticipated pitching before the end of the season, but ran into a few physical roadblocks and that plan was scrapped.

Then, toward the end of spring training, Hendriks noticed that his stuff was missing its customary crispness. It was then revealed that he was dealing with some nerve inflammation, requiring a shutdown and a cortisone shot.

“I was lying to myself about my arm and trying to get through things,” he acknowledged, ‘and do things which had gotten me to where I am now, which is pitching through things. This time, instead of pitching through things and kind of flushing the system out, it kind of compounded things. Trying to get through that my stubborn head isn’t the easiest thing to do.

“It was a little bit of an irritant, but we were able to figure that out and now I can get back to being me.”

In spring training, Hendriks said his fastball lacked its usual “jump,” at the end, and attempting to compensate, he fell into some bad habits with his delivery.

Following a period of no activity, he demonstrated over the course of three minor league rehab assignments that the fastball has its usual life.

Hendriks ceded his usual role of closer to Aroldis Chapman in spring training, and now that’s on the active roster, he’ll have to carve out his own role. He said he hadn’t been told exactly how the Red Sox plan to utilize him.

“I have no clue and that’s the way I want it,” he said. “I’m just excited for that adrenaline rush of the phone call (down to the bullpen). That’s the thing that I think I’ve missed most about being here. Yeah, you’re around the guys, you’re around all this sort of stuff, but you don’t have that ‘Oh, crap,’ moment when the phone rings, where no matter what your situation is, its gets the heart going and give you that extra little energy.”

“We’ll use him however we’re comfortable with,” said Alex Cora. “The game will dictate that. The good thing is that he’s healthy, he’s back in the big leagues. It’s been a grind. But we’re happy that he’s going to be with us.”

Even when he wasn’t on the roster, Hendriks spent a lot of time in the bullpen during games. But Saturday — or Sunday or Monday — will be different and require more focus.

“I need to be careful about maintaining some sort of connection to the game,” he said. “At some point today, I may have to work.”

Which is what he’s been waiting for over the last 680 days.

“I think it’s always some sort of extra energy level, playing against the team you played with many moons ago,” he said. “For me, that’s now several of them. But yeah, I think there’s definitely going to be a little extra special moment and hopefully give me a little extra adrenaline as well.”