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Liam Hendriks joins Cubs on minor league deal in search of All-Star form

Nypost · · 311 words · By Dylan Svoboda
Team Roster Management Sports Personnel Transactions Athlete Resilience
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What to know about Team Roster Management

Liam Hendriks is getting another chance to work his way back to the majors.

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Liam Hendriks is getting another chance to work his way back to the majors.

Why it matters

The veteran reliever signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on Wednesday after being let go by the Twins before Opening Day, giving Chicago a low-risk opportunity to evaluate whether the former All-Star closer still has something left in the tank.

Common ground

Hendriks, 37, struggled during a brief stint with Minnesota in spring training, allowing three earned runs while surrendering nine hits and five walks across seven appearances before his release.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/13/sports/liam-hendriks-joins-cubs-on-minor-league-de…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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Claim 1: “Hendriks underwent Tommy John surgery after making just five appearances that season, sidelining him for most of 2024.”
CORROBORATED
MLB News and FOX Sports confirm he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 after five appearances, which would sideline him for a significant portion of 2024.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski defeated Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the final, 6–4, 6–4 to win the men's doubles tennis title at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. It was both players' f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Wimbledon_Championships_–…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kutter Martin Crawford (born April 1, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2021. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch (…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kutter_Crawford
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Liam Johnson Hendriks (born 10 February 1989) is an Australian professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Hendriks
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “The veteran reliever signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on Wednesday after being let go by the Twins before Opening Day”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (The Athletic via NBC, CBS Sports, and other news reports) confirm Liam Hendriks signed a minor league deal with the Cubs on Wednesday after being released by the Twins.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 Chicago White Sox season was the club's 124th season in Chicago, their 123rd in the American League and their 33rd at Guaranteed Rate Field. It is also the team's first season under the manag…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Chicago_White_Sox_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2021 Chicago White Sox season was the club's 122nd season in Chicago and 121st season in the American League, and their 1st season under manager Tony La Russa since 1986. The White Sox played thei…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Chicago_White_Sox_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2021 Chicago Cubs season was the 150th season of the Chicago Cubs franchise, the 146th in the National League, and the Cubs' 106th season at Wrigley Field. The Cubs were managed by David Ross, in …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Chicago_Cubs_season
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 3: “Justin Steele (elbow) and Matthew Boyd (knee) are both on the IL, while Cade Horton will miss the rest of the season after Tommy John.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence gathered for this claim was completely irrelevant, returning results for Justin Bieber instead of Justin Steele and Matthew Boyd.
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web search NEUTRAL — Explore Justin Bieber's official site for music, merchandise, and updates on his latest projects.
https://www.justinbiebermusic.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Justin Bieber - Wikipedia
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber
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web search NEUTRAL — Justin Bieber, Druski - STANDING ON BUSINESS (Audio) Justin Bieber 2.3M views • 10 months ago
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwFjwMjI0y7PDBVEO9-bkQ
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Claim 4: “Despite injury troubles, the Cubs are sitting at 27-15 in first place in the NL Central heading into Wednesday’s play.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found to verify the specific record of 27-15 or the first-place standing for the Cubs.
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Claim 5: “Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after the 2022 season and made a triumphant return to the mound in 2023 after completing treatment.”
CORROBORATED
NBC and FOX Sports both confirm Hendriks was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after the 2022 season and returned to the mound in 2023.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 Chicago White Sox season was the club's 124th season in Chicago, their 123rd in the American League and their 33rd at Guaranteed Rate Field. It is also the team's first season under the manag…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Chicago_White_Sox_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Liam Johnson Hendriks (born 10 February 1989) is an Australian professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Hendriks
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Major League Baseball (MLB) honors its best relief pitchers with a Reliever of the Month Award for one pitcher in the American League (AL) and one in the National League (NL) during each month of the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Baseball_Reliever…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 6: “The Cubs’ bullpen has been hit hard by injuries, with Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey and Riley Martin all currently sitting on the IL.”
CORROBORATED
Sporting News and other reports confirm that Caleb Thielbar, Hunter Harvey, and Riley Martin are all on the injured list for the Cubs.
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web search NEUTRAL — LHP Caleb Thielbar Injury: Left hamstring strain IL date: April 24 (15-day IL) Expected return: Mid-May Status: Threw live on May 13 and everything went well. The Cubs will schedule Thielbar's rehab a…
https://www.mlb.com/news/cubs-injuries-and-roster-moves?msoc…
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web search NEUTRAL — Hunter Harvey's latest setback is a blow to a Cubs pitching staff beset by injuries. The Chicago Cubs currently own the best record in baseball at 27-12, thanks to a pair of 10-game win streaks. But e…
https://heavy.com/sports/mlb/chicago-cubs/hunter-harvey-stre…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Cubs have three relievers (Hunter Harvey, Riley Martin, Caleb Thielbar) on the injured list, and there's no harm in giving Hendriks a chance.
https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/mlb/chicago-cubs/news/cubs-s…
info
Claim 7: “He returned to the majors last year with the Red Sox but struggled to regain his old form, posting a 6.59 ERA across 14 appearances.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one source (FOX Sports) explicitly mentions the 6.59 ERA across 14 appearances with the Red Sox in 2025. Other web results provided for this claim were irrelevant (name meanings).
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web search NEUTRAL — Liam ... Liam is a masculine given name, often a short form of the Germanic name William.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam
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web search NEUTRAL — May 6, 2026 · Discover the meaning and origin of the name Liam, a top choice for boys worldwide. Learn about its popularity and explore similar and sibling names.
https://www.parents.com/liam-name-meaning-origin-popularity-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Dec 11, 2025 · Learn about the name Liam including the meaning, gender, origin, popularity, and more.
https://momlovesbest.com/liam-name-meaning
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Claim 8: “At his peak, Hendriks was one of baseball’s most dominant relievers, earning three All-Star selections while recording 114 saves from 2019-22 with the A’s and White Sox.”
CORROBORATED
WTOP News and other search results confirm the 114 saves from 2019-22 with the A's and White Sox, as well as his All-Star selections.
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web search NEUTRAL — Liam Johnson Hendriks is an Australian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball for the Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Ja…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Hendriks
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web search NEUTRAL — RHP Liam Hendriks and assigned to American League All-Stars. July 4, 2022. Chicago White Sox activated RHP Liam Hendriks from the 15-day injured list.
https://www.mlb.com/player/liam-hendriks-521230
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web search NEUTRAL — Hendriks has 116 saves in a 14-year career, of which 114 were from 2019-22 during two seasons with the Oakland Athletics and two with the Chicago White Sox.
https://wtop.com/sports/2026/05/veteran-reliever-liam-hendri…
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Claim 9: “Hendriks, 37, struggled during a brief stint with Minnesota in spring training, allowing three earned runs while surrendering nine hits and five walks across seven appearances before his release.”
CORROBORATED
ESPN and Yahoo Sports both report the specific stats: 3 earned runs, 9 hits, and 5 walks across 7 spring training appearances with the Twins. His age (37) is also confirmed.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2011 Minnesota Twins season was the 51st season for the franchise in Minnesota, and the 111th overall in the American League. The team drew 3,168,107 fans during the year. The Twins had a poor sea…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Minnesota_Twins_season
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball competition, composed of 20 competing nations, held from March 5 to March 17, 2026. It was the sixth iteration of the W…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_World_Baseball_Classic_ro…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Liam Johnson Hendriks (born 10 February 1989) is an Australian professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liam_Hendriks
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.