Chicago White Sox Pitcher Liam Hendriks Plays First Game Post-Cancer Treatments: 'I Felt Strong'

The All-Star pitcher was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in January and announced he was in remission last month

Just one month after sharing that he's “cancer free,” Chicago White Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks returned to the field on Monday.

Hendriks, 34, said “it was definitely emotional” for him to return to the mound, where he pitched one inning in a 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels in Chicago.

The three-time All Star received several standing ovations throughout the game, according to ESPN, including when manager Pedro Grifol called him into the game. Angels batter Matt Thaiss waited to step into the batter’s box while both teams also joined the crowd in applauding Hendriks’ return.

“It was humbling going out there and seeing the amount of people wearing my shirts, the amount of people having signs or flags or anything like that — the amount of people that were chanting when I came into the game,” Hendriks said after the game.

The Australian-born pitcher was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in January and underwent both immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

“You never think you will be the one who hears 'you have cancer' but there I was… in shock and fear not knowing what comes next,” he wrote in a social media update in April. Soon after, Hendriks announced he was in remission.

RELATED: White Sox Pitcher Liam Hendriks Is Officially 'Cancer Free' From Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

The pitcher then made six minor league appearances in recent weeks to get ready for his return to the big leagues. Hendriks threw 27 pitches and gave up two runs, but still got another ovation from the crowd after the inning.

“It was great being back out there,” Hendriks said, according to The Associated Press. “Getting back, putting cleats on, running out, doing all that. I felt good, I felt strong, I felt comfortable out there. Unfortunately for me, I just wasn’t able to get the two-strike pitch where I wanted to.”

RELATED: White Sox Player Liam Hendriks Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: 'I Am Resolved to Embrace the Fight'

Throughout the day, Hendriks received messages of support from other players around the league, including Chicago Cubs stars Jameson Taillon and Trey Mancini, two cancer survivors who texted him to say welcome back before his return. Angels manager Phil Nevin also said he found Hendriks before the game to “wish him luck.”

“What he’s done and how he’s done it has been remarkable,” Grifol, the White Sox manager, said after Monday’s game. “It’s an inspiration to everybody on this club, it’s an inspiration to everybody who follows the game and knows of Liam.”

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Hendriks’ wife Kristi also told reporters that the hope of playing baseball again was a major inspiration throughout his recovery.

“When you are having all this poison pumped into your body, the last thing you feel is normal,” she said. “It was great for him too to have the camaraderie with his teammates. He got to, you guys know Liam, he’s a goofy, random man. And he’s weird. He felt like he was part of his people again. I think that if he didn’t have baseball, his recovery would have been very different.”

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