After punching out Taylor Walls to end the top of the fourth, Liam Hendriks let loose a big fist pump and a bigger roar as he stepped off the mound at JetBlue Park.

It was two years of pent up frustration released in an instant. Now, Hendriks could finally turn the page.

The Red Sox right-hander made his long-awaited team debut on Wednesday, posting a scoreless inning in Boston’s eventual 8-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. Hendriks missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and prior to that his life was thrown into disarray when he was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma prior to the 2023 season.

Hendriks beat cancer and has finally completed his comeback from elbow surgery. Now the club hopes the three-time All-Star can rediscover his old dominance.

His performance Wednesday was encouraging.

Hendriks’ fastball sat 94-96 mph and while his command wasn’t dialed in, he looked like someone who could plausibly serve as Boston’s closer. Hendriks forced a leadoff groundout, a single and a flyout before striking out Walls to wrap up his outing.

Afterwards Hendriks told reporters he’s excited to be back and is grateful for the chance to compete for the closer job. He went on to say he’ll take whatever role he’s offered, but also made no bones about his ultimate goal.

“I plan on winning that job,” Hendriks said. “I want to win the job but I want everyone in that bullpen to succeed, and if our best bullpen is me in the seventh or the eighth or the fourth it doesn’t matter, that’s where I’ll pitch. I just want to pitch, it’s been a while since I’ve been out there. I just want the ball.”

Hendriks’ debut was a high point on what was otherwise a disappointing day for the Red Sox bullpen.

Left-handers Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson, both signed as free agents this past offseason, made their team debuts as well. Chapman brought his trademark heat, topping 100 mph with little apparent effort, but he also walked two over 0.2 innings of work. Chapman struck out one and did not allow a hit or a run.

Wilson’s debut didn’t go nearly as well. The 37-year-old allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk over 0.2 innings, including a bases-clearing triple by Junior Caminero. He also gave up a double to Christopher Morel and had two inherited runners come in to score after being lifted for minor leaguer Jose Adames.

Brennan Bernardino, Greg Weissert and Zack Kelly, all contenders for spots in the Opening Day bullpen, each took the mound as well. Bernardino threw a scoreless sixth with one hit and one strikeout, Weissert posted a 1-2-3 seventh with a strikeout, and Kelly struck out the first two batters he faced in the eighth before allowing two runs on two hits and a walk.

Non-roster invitee Austin Adams wrapped things up with a scoreless top of the ninth.

Bregman drives in two

Alex Bregman continued his strong start to his Red Sox career with another solid performance on Wednesday. Getting the start at third base, Bregman went 0 for 2 with two RBI, including a towering sacrifice fly to left that just barely missed getting out. Bregman also drove in a run on a groundout and committed an error at third before he was subbed out after the fifth.

Jarren Duran went 2 for 3 with a run scored, Triston Casas went 0 for 2 with a walk, Trevor Story went 1 for 3, Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 1 with a walk and Vaughn Grissom went 0 for 2 after starting again at second base.

Dobbins debuts

Red Sox pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins got his first start of the spring on Wednesday, allowing one run over two innings while striking out three. The 25-year-old generally pitched well, striking out Rays starters Jonathan Aranda, Christopher Morel and Jonny DeLuca, though his lone blemish came on a solo home run by Curtis Mead.

According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, Dobbins also hit 97 mph on the radar gun.

Red Sox RHP Hunter Dobbins, likely to open the year in the WooSox rotation, just finished his first inning of work by striking out Aranda on a 97 mph heater. I realize that this dates me, but I remain absolutely floored by the sort of velo that we now routinely see in spring training.

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier.bsky.social) 2025-02-26T18:11:21.564Z

Though Dobbins is expected to start the season in the Worcester Red Sox rotation, the right-hander has been one of Boston’s most consistent minor league starters over the past two years and earned a spot on the 40-man roster this past offseason ahead of the Rule 5 Draft. If the Red Sox need an emergency spot starter or if the rotation gets rocked by injuries, he will be among those considered for a call-up.

Local star shines

Ian Seymour, a Westborough native and a former St. John’s of Shrewsbury star, got the start for Tampa Bay and posted two scoreless innings. The University of Hartford alum struck out two, did not allow a hit and gave up one walk during his outing.

Injury updates

Prior to Wednesday’s game, Alex Cora provided a number of injury updates to reporters in Fort Myers.

According to MassLive’s Christopher Smith, Brayan Bello (sore right shoulder) will throw a bullpen session on Friday and the hope is he will still be ready in time for Opening Day. In addition, catcher Connor Wong (shoulder soreness) will take live at bats on Thursday and Friday before potentially making his Grapefruit League debut over the weekend.

Right-hander Lucas Giolito (elbow surgery rehab) is feeling good after throwing his first bullpen on Tuesday and is scheduled to throw two innings of live batting practice on Sunday. Outfielder Wilyer Abreu (viral gastrointestinal illness) has not been cleared for baseball activities and remains sidelined.

Coming up next

The Red Sox will head up to Lakeland on Thursday to face the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 p.m. Quinn Priester is scheduled to get the start against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty, and Josh Winckowski, Michael Fulmer, Isaiah Campbell and Jacob Webb are slated to take the mound for the Red Sox as well.

Cora also announced prior to the game that Garrett Crochet will start Friday, Tanner Houck will start Saturday and Walker Buehler will make his Red Sox debut on Sunday.

Thursday’s game will be broadcast on WEEI 850 AM.