Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks says he's received death threats: 'Enough is enough'

Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald on May 22, 2025

Published in Baseball

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BOSTON — It’s not uncommon for professional athletes to receive criticism on social media, but sometimes that fan behavior can escalate into harassment or outright abuse.

On Thursday, Red Sox right-hander Liam Hendriks revealed he’d received messages that were beyond the pale.

“Just as an FYI: Threats against my life and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel. You need help.” Hendriks wrote on a post on Instagram. “Leaving comments telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile.”

“Maybe you should take a step back and reevaluate your life’s purpose before hiding behind a screen attacking players and their families. Whether you do it from your 'fake accounts' or are dumb enough to do it from your real account,” Hendriks continued. “I think I speak for all players who have had to deal with this in their career when I say: Enough is enough.”

Hendriks’ post came a day after the veteran right-hander was charged with three runs over 2/3 innings before taking the loss in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the New York Mets. Hendriks also made comments to the media critical of his recent usage, telling Alex Speier of The Boston Globe that “the more I pitch, the better I get” and that he’s had multiple conversations with the club about his current role, which lately has consisted mostly of infrequent low-leverage situations.

A three-time All-Star, Hendriks has overcome significant health challenges in recent years. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma in December of 2022, and shortly after returning to the mound he suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery, which kept him out of action for nearly two years.

Since his return, Hendriks has posted a 5.56 ERA in 11 1/3 innings through his first 11 appearances.

Hendriks is not the first Red Sox player known to have received death threats this season. Earlier this year outfielder Jarren Duran revealed he’d attempted suicide during the 2022 season in the new Netflix series “The Clubhouse: A Year With The Red Sox.” Shortly after the series premiered a fan in Cleveland was ejected for directing an inappropriate comment at Duran referencing the attempt.

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If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.