Liam Hendriks Injury: Sox decline option

The Red Sox declined Hendriks' (elbow) $12 million mutual option for 2026 on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Hendriks missed the majority of the season with hip and elbow injuries and posted a 6.59 ERA across 13.2 innings when healthy, so the Red Sox will pay him a $2 million buyout instead of the $12 million he would have been owed next year. The right-handed reliever is set to turn 37 in February, and although he may still receive some interest on the open market despite his injury history, there likely isn't a landing spot where he would have a chance to pitch in high-leverage situations consistently -- at least not right away.