The 2025 season may be over for two members of the Red Sox pitching staff and 60-day injured list. In speaking with the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey and other reporters today, Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and manager Alex Cora both indicated that left-hander Patrick Sandoval and right-hander Liam Hendriks aren’t likely to pitch this year.
Sandoval underwent an internal brace procedure on his left UCL last July, so the southpaw was guaranteed to need at least a full year of recovery time. Because brace procedures generally require 12-13 months of rehab rather than the 13-15 month timelines associated with full Tommy John procedures, there was some thought that Sandoval could potentially make it back before the end of the 2025 campaign.
However, Cora indicated last week that Sandoval’s throwing progression had been scaled back from bullpen sessions to just games of catch. The setback has now seemingly elongated Sandoval’s timeline to the point that he almost surely won’t be fully ramped up (after bullpens, simulated games, minor league rehab games, etc.) to be ready before the end of September.
The Angels chose to non-tender Sandoval last winter, and the Red Sox signed him to a two-year, $18.25MM free agent deal. Just $5.5MM of that salary was owed for 2025, as the idea was that Sandoval would be missing at least the first four months of the season anyway. While this outcome isn’t unexpected, it is surely a disappointment to Sandoval that his UCL injury has continued to leave him on the sidelines.
Hendriks can sympathize, as the closer’s battle with cancer and then a Tommy John surgery limited him to five MLB innings in 2023 and then cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Similar to Sandoval, Hendriks’ hopes of a late-season return were dashed by some continued arm soreness, and then his return in 2025 was delayed by elbow inflammation during Spring Training. Upon finally returning to the mound and making his official Red Sox debut, Hendriks posted a 6.59 ERA over 14 games and 13 2/3 innings before hip inflammation sent him back to the IL in late May.
Hendriks signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Red Sox in February 2024 that, like Sandoval’s contract, was backloaded. He earned $2MM while rehabbing in 2024 and then is earning $6MM this year, plus there is a $2MM buyout of a $12MM mutual option for the 2026 season. The Sox are a lock to decline their end of the option given Hendriks’ continued injury owes, and the former three-time All-Star will probably have to settle for a minor league deal in free agency this coming offseason.
more distressed merchandise.
Is It Really So Strange?
They thought they were being thrifty and clever. They were neither.
I commend Hendriks attempt to come back. He just didnt have it. He competed his butt off, but he’s gotta heal up. Hopefully he can latch on somewhere in ST next year. Good dude.
And hopefully Sandoval ends these stupid contracts for guys coming off huge injuries. The whole two year deal for one year pitched concept has never worked. The data-driven, value style that BOS uses for signing players doesn’t take into account the guy who doesn’t recover how they planned (hoped).
I’m not sure if you remember, but Giolito was signed to a two year contract to rehab from TJ in the first year and he’s been huge for us this season, so I think it’s a bit of an over reaction to say those types of contracts don’t work.
Also I’m sure the front office knows it’s possible that the first year of the contract might not result in a single major league outing
Giolito was healthy when signed, and then injured himself I believe in the first ST outing in 2024.
I share frustration about their luck with these types of deals, but… Brandon Woodruff?
I think it was just the $ to Sandoval. I didn’t think he was an $18.5MM arm for a single season with the post injury risk. But then again Alex Cobb got $15MM….
Can the Red Sox just release Hendriks now? Presumably we’re covering a lot of costs in rehab, medical etc. as well as salary. If we’re not getting any more from him might as well eat the salary and save on the ancillaries.
When you get sick I hope your job fires you.
I have a set number of sick days and then, yes, I stop getting paid when I don’t perform my job. So do most people.
Doesn’t make it right. Health care should not be tied to employment period.
Hear of workers comp? He got hurt working so the Red Sox couldn’t just cut snd run anyway. I’m sure the CBA has it listed out how injured players are handled.
Yeah, I guess that was my question. What does the CBA state? Can the Red Sox cut someone on the IL? It’d probably be a dog move from the Red Sox to cut him but the players are also quick to remind everyone that it’s a business, nothing personal.
Hendriks is on the 60-day IL. What’s the advantage to cutting him?
Sox are presumably paying for his medical costs and all the support he receives rehabbing etc. Why pay for that and all the logistics etc. that goes along with it if he’s not going to pitch for the rest of the contract?
Why would you care? You aren’t paying him and it isn’t stopping the Sox from signing people and he isn’t taking up a roster spot. Also, he has a guaranteed contract so they don’t save any money from releasing him. Also, it would set a bad precedent and other free agents would think twice about signing with the Sox.
I don’t really care, it’s just a question. You do save a bit of non salary costs to release him and not be on the hook for his rehabbing medical costs. It’s probably negligible though and, like you say, even if possible, it ain’t a good look.
I know Hendriks is a good guy and all but thank god. Whatever he is as a person he is no longer as a player.