Liam Hendriks says his family has received death threats

Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks was knocked around in his last two outings, and the veteran right-hander says he has received death threats over it.

Hendriks took the mound in a 1-1 game in the seventh inning of the Red Sox’s game against the New York Mets on Wednesday at Fenway Park in Boston. He allowed 3 hits and 3 earned runs in 2/3 of an inning and was charged with the loss as the Red Sox fell 5-1.

Hendriks’ previous appearance was on Friday, when he allowed 2 hits and 2 earned runs in 2/3 of an inning. Boston lost that game 4-2 to the Atlanta Braves.

On Thursday, Hendriks revealed via Instagram that he and his wife have received death threats. The 36-year-old said fans have told him he should kill himself and that they wished he died from cancer. Hendriks beat cancer two years ago.

“Just as an FYI: Threats against my life and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel. You need help,” Hendriks wrote 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. I think I speak for all players who have had to deal with this in their career when I say: Enough is enough.”