Hendriks came into the game with the Red Sox down by just one run in the eighth inning and allowed a two-strike single to Luis Robert Jr. and then a two-run homer to Andrew Vaughn. However, the bigger news was that this was the first time Hendriks had appeared in an MLB game since June of 2023. Over the last few years, Hendriks has battled back from stage four cancer and Tommy John surgery, so it’s nice to see him out on the field. He didn’t look as crisp as we’re used to seeing, and he averaged 95.3 mph on his fastball, which is down a bit from his heyday, but Hendriks should be a usable reliever for the Red Sox this season. He’s just unlikely to get many save opportunities if he remains close to this version of himself.

It’s been a long road back for Hendriks, who last pitched in the big leagues on June 9, 2023 when he was a member of the White Sox. The 36-year-old veteran righty will be available out of the bullpen for Saturday’s showdown against Chicago at Fenway Park. He’s unlikely to be thrust back into high-leverage situations right away, but he figures to work his way into those spots in the near future.

Red Sox’ manager Alex Cora told reporters after Friday’s game that there’s a “good chance” Hendriks will join the team’s bullpen on Saturday. The expected corresponding move will be Hunter Dobbins returning to Triple-A Worcester. When Hendriks makes his Red Sox’ debut it will be his first appearance in the big leagues since June 9, 2023.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Hendriks will likely be activated for Friday’s series opener against the White Sox. The 36-year-old veteran tossed a scoreless inning on Sunday for Triple-A Worcester and will make at least one additional rehab outing before making his long-awaited Boston debut at Fenway Park.