Boston Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks revealed on social media that he and his family received death threats following his team’s loss to the Mets on Wednesday.
“Just as an FYI: Threats against me and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel. You need help,” Hendriks wrote, according to the Associated Press. “Leaving comments and telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile.”
According to Bleacher Report, “Hendriks relieved starting pitcher Garrett Crochet in the sixth inning with the game tied at one apiece. He recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the inning, but gave up three consecutive singles in the seventh. Brennan Bernardino came into the game for Hendriks, and New York managed to take a 4-1 lead by the end of the inning.”
Boston lost the game, 5-1.
Hendriks made headlines in 2023 when he announced that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After completing his chemotherapy regimen, he was declared cancer-free by April of 2023.
The Red Sox hurler strongly encouraged fans to self-evaluate before sending threatening messages to athletes.
“Maybe you should step back and reevaluate your life’s purpose before hiding behind a screen and attacking players and their families,” Hendriks wrote. “Whether you do it from your fake accounts or are dumb enough to do it from your real account.
“I think I speak for all players who have had to deal with this in their career when I say enough is enough.”
In his first season with the BoSox, Hendriks has a 5.56 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP in 11 appearances and 11.1 innings.
