The White Sox embark on a six-game road trip against the Dodgers and Mariners starting Tuesday night, and they’re going to need that good bullpen of theirs.
You know, the good one they’ve featured in the last four-plus weeks, not the one that blew leads to the Marlins on consecutive days, sending the Sox (29-38) out of town on a down note but trailing the first-place Twins by only 41⁄2 games in the sad-sacked AL Central.
And the bullpen won’t have Liam Hendriks, so there’s that.
“We were all excited to have Liam back for a number of reasons,” bullpen coach Curt Hasler told the Sun-Times on Monday. “First, he came back from beating cancer. And second, he’s one of the better relievers in the league. To have a guy like that in the back of your bullpen, it’s a huge lift.”
How long the pen will be without a boost from Hendriks, who went on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation Sunday, is an unknown.
“We’re not sure yet,” Hasler said. “There’s some things that need to be taken care of. It’s disappointing to have this happen to have him, especially with everything he’s gone through. To beat that and now have this little setback.”
More could be known Tuesday after MRI results and other information is gathered. Hendriks pitched in five games after coming back from his bout with cancer, allowing one run in his last four. One of the runs came on a night he notched his first save, and he was medaled with a win for two of his other efforts.
Without Hendriks, it’s back to Kendall Graveman getting most ninth inning chances in all likelihood, although manager Pedro Grifol probably won’t hesitate to use Joe Kelly or even Keynan Middleton and Reynaldo Lopez late, if necessary.
Graveman and Middleton had consecutive scoreless appearance streaks halted at 16 and 14 games in Sunday’s bad 6-5 loss to the Marlins. Kelly failed to convert a save opportunity Saturday, although an error by shortstop Tim Anderson Saturday and catcher’s interference on Seby Zavala Sunday didn’t help.
But the relievers took the responsibility.
“Last night and the night before, some bad pitches,” Hasler said. “Didn’t execute some and we paid for it. But those guys are very, very good. If Grave and Middleton run off another month and a half of zeros we’ll all be happy.”
“I’m thankful we went on that run,” Graveman said. “Now we have to start a new one.”
Having Hendriks in uniform again bolstered a bullpen that before Sunday posted a 2.31 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP in 26 games since May 13. Not having him gives more for the others to shoulder again.
Gregory Santos hasn’t allowed a run in six appearances and is 2-0 with a 1.26 ERA over his last 25. Lopez hasn’t been scored on in 12 of his last 15 appearances and lefty Aaron Bummer has strung 10 scoreless outings in a row. Jimmy Lambert (ankle) should be coming off the IL soon.
With the Rangers, Red Sox and Angels following the Dodgers and Mariners on the schedule, there will be plenty of work for all.
Hendriks, who was sidelined from June 11 to July 4 last season with a flexor strain in his right forearm, remains a question mark. His velocity was down in his last appearance, the first sign something was amiss. While he did not have a normal spring training, general manager Rick Hahn on Sunday was “confident in saying that the ramp-up and the return-to-play protocol did not influence this result.”
Hasler noted Hendriks was on a throwing program and threw all of spring training, complete with bullpens and long toss. He pitched in extended spring training games and made five appearances with Triple-A Charlotte. Going through chemotherapy made this ramp-up highly unusual, though.
“We’ll see what the diagnosis says and how bad it is but he went through the proper ramp-up and a lot of throwing,” Hasler said. “In spring training he knew all along he was going to beat this. So he was doing everything he could.”
