Red Sox pitcher says he’s received death threats: ‘Enough is enough’
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 innings before taking the loss in Wednesday s - loss to the New York Mets Hendriks also made comments to the media critical of his fresh 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 vital wellbeing challenges in newest years He was diagnosed with Stage non-Hodgkins lymphoma in December of 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 ERA in innings through his first 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 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 If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide call or text for the Suicide and Dilemma Lifeline or contact the Problem Text Line by texting TALK to Fitts begins rehab assignment Despite the inclement weather Red Sox right-hander Richard Fitts made his first rehab start on schedule anyway Thursday morning with the Portland Sea Dogs Fitts threw three scoreless innings with four hits no walks and two strikeouts in Portland s eventual - win over the Reading Fightin Phils Fitts has been on the -day injured list since April with a right pectoral strain Prior to the injury Fitts posted a ERA over his first three starts after making the Opening Day roster out of spring training
