Shelton still beleives in Hendriks, and the Twins might need him.
The Minnesota Twins signed Liam Hendriks to a minor league deal back in February knowing the risk was low and the upside was worth the gamble.
Now, a month into spring training, the 37-year-old right-hander is starting to look like someone who belongs on the Opening Day roster.
Hendriks threw a scoreless inning in Tuesday's Grapefruit League loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, punching out two batters while generating four whiffs on just eight swings.
The Fastball Is Ticking Up
What really stood out was the fastball velocity, which topped out at 93.6 mph against the Phillies.
That number is up from where he sat during his brief and injury-plagued stint with the Boston Red Sox last season, and it is a sign that his arm is feeling better than it has in a long time.
Hendriks has dealt with a lot over the past few years, from a non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in early 2023 to Tommy John surgery to hip inflammation and a nerve procedure in his elbow just last September.
The fact that he is out there throwing in the mid-90s and missing bats is something nobody should take for granted.
Shelton Gives Hendriks High Praise
Twins manager Derek Shelton has taken notice, and he did not hold back when talking about what Hendriks brings to the table.
"You can't take away the been there, done that," Shelton told Jayson Stark of The Athletic. "There are guys who can't do it. And he's done it at a really high level."
That kind of praise matters, especially when Shelton said just last week that he has no idea who his closer will be this season.
Between 2019 and 2022, Hendriks was arguably the best closer in baseball, earning three All-Star selections and posting a 2.26 ERA while averaging 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings across stops with the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox.
He also won the Mariano Rivera Reliever of the Year Award in 2021 after racking up 38 saves for the South Side.
That track record is exactly what Minnesota needs right now.
Can Hendriks Crack the Bullpen?
The Twins finished 70-92 last season and dealt away several relievers at the trade deadline, leaving the bullpen thin heading into 2026.
Minnesota currently sits at 8-15-1 this spring and opens the regular season on March 26 in Baltimore, so there is not a lot of time left for guys to make their case.
Cole Sands and Justin Topa entered camp as the favorites for late-inning work, but Hendriks is pushing his way into the conversation with each outing.
He is in camp on a non-roster invite, which means the Twins would need to add him to the 40-man roster if they want to keep him around.
Given the weak competition for the closer role and the way Hendriks has looked this spring, that feels like a move Minnesota should be ready to make.
His velocity is trending in the right direction, his arm is healthy, and he has the kind of postseason and high-leverage experience that nobody else in this bullpen can match.
If Hendriks keeps dealing like he did Tuesday, the Twins might have found their answer at the back end of the bullpen without spending a dime.