Three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year Lia Hendriks announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday.
"After years of staring down hitters, I have decided to officially retire from Major League Baseball," Hendriks wrote on Instagram. "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.
Hendriks made a name for himself as one of the best relievers in baseball at one point in his career, but he is also a symbol of perseverance. He was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2023, but managed to go through treatment and return to playing baseball cancer-free.
In 14 seasons, he spent time with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.
From 2015 to 2022, he was one of the elite bullpen arms in baseball. He posted a 2.94 ERA in 432 games in that span and recorded 115 saves. All three of his All-Star selections also came in that stretch.
His final season in the big leagues was 2025, with the Red Sox. He had a 6.59 ERA in 14 games. It was clear he was no longer the same player he once was. This season, he pitched in five games in the Chicago Cubs minor league system.
"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," Hendriks wrote.