New Chicago Cubs infielder Trey Mancini says he reached out to White Sox closer Liam Hendriks after he revealed he’d been diagnosed with cancer, saying that he was ready and willing to offer any counsel he could during the difficult treatment process.
Hendriks revealed earlier this month that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and he recently began treatment in his fight against the illness.
During a call with media members on Monday, Mancini said that he had reached out to Hendriks to provide advice and encouragement after he had begun treatment.
“I just reached out and said ‘if you need any advice, I’m here,’” he said. “It was on the day of his first treatment, so he said ‘thanks so much.’ He had just gone with the treatment and he said he was going to circle back with me. Obviously (it’s) different chemos, but at the same time, you’re not going to be feeling ideal whenever you’re going through it. So I wanted him to know that I have some advice at least on what makes you feel better during chemo, and how to get through it a little bit better.”
Hendriks is hoping to pitch again this season for the White Sox, but there is no current timetable.
Mancini experienced his own battle against cancer, undergoing surgery to remove a malignant tumor from his colon in 2020. He later revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, and underwent chemotherapy treatments while missing the COVID-shortened campaign.
In November of that year, Mancini announced that his cancer had gone into remission, and that he would rejoin the Baltimore Orioles for the 2021 season. He ultimately hit 21 home runs and drove in 71 RBI’s in 147 games, and won American League Comeback Player of the Year honors.
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Hendriks announced his diagnosis on Jan. 8, and began treatment the next day.
“I am confident that I will make a full recovery and be back on the mound as soon as possible,” he said in an Instagram post. “I know with the support of my wife, my family, my teammates and the Chicago White Sox organization, along with the treatment and care from my doctors, I will get through this.”