Hendricks wraps meaningful '25 with Halos, his future undecided

ANAHEIM -- There was no fanfare. No tribute. No ceremony. Just Kyle Hendricks' teammates waiting for him at the top of the dugout steps at Angel Stadium, hugging him one by one and giving him their own standing ovation as he walked off the mound for the final time in 2025 -- and possibly the final time in his 12-year career.

It was a send-off tailored perfectly to who Hendricks is.

"He’s the consummate professional,” interim Angels manager Ray Montgomery said after the Angels’ 4-3 win over the Astros. “He’s the teammate that everybody will remember for years and years and years. Not because of what he did on the field, I don’t think any of that will matter. Just who he is as a person and who he is as a professional, he’s made a lasting impact on everybody in that room. Including me.”

Montgomery, who suggested he was leaning toward giving Hendricks a longer leash heading into the game, almost pulled him one batter earlier. With Carlos Correa on first base after a fielding error and Hendricks' pitch count already at 105 -- his most in a start since 2021 -- in the top of the fifth inning, Montgomery went out for a mound visit.

“It’s up to you,” he told Hendricks.

"Well, it’s the last one. Might as well let [my arm] fall off,” Hendricks responded.

Three pitches later, the 35-year-old right-hander got a lineout to get out of the inning. He finished his night with five hits, three runs (two earned) and eight strikeouts over five innings.

"Awesome. Awesome,” Hendricks said of how his night ended. “Couldn’t draw it up any better.”

To be clear, Hendricks was referring to “the last one” as his last one of the season. He’s still undecided on his future beyond 2025. But with his final outing complete and the Angels down to their final two games, Hendricks reiterated that now is the time for him to sit down with his family and start to think about the next steps.

The main factor in his decision will be his family, his kids and all the other off-the-field things that take priority at this stage of his life. After that, he’ll evaluate his body, how his stuff feels, and how his mechanics have been working all season and go from there.

"It’s a full picture at this point,” he said. “A lot of people involved. I've been so lucky with the support group I've had behind me. It takes an army. You can't do this by yourself, so it comes down to all their opinions and just taking some time away and seeing how you feel.”

Going by feel, Hendricks’ 2025 was an improvement over 2024 in almost every way. He threw 34 more innings (164 2/3 this season compared to 130 2/3 in '24) and increased his strikeouts from 87 to 114. His ERA went down from 5.92 to 4.76, and his WHIP also lowered significantly (1.45 to 1.28).

On Friday, Hendricks' 2025 successes manifested in his ability to keep the Astros off-balance for most of the night, tallying a game-high 16 swings-and-misses. Ten of those came on his changeup.

Hendricks struck out five of the first eight batters he faced and seemed to be cruising until Houston put together a three-run fourth inning off three consecutive extra-base hits allowed: a Christian Walker home run and back-to-back doubles by Yainer Diaz and Zach Cole.

Still, Hendricks came back out for the fifth inning to empty the tank.

"He was good. He knew what he had,” Montgomery said. “He always knows what he has, so he was great in the moment. I'm glad I got to experience that. True to form to who Kyle Hendricks is.”

Hendricks, a 2016 World Series champion with the Cubs who started the fateful Game 7 that ended their 108-year championship drought, signed a one year, $2.5 million contract with the Angels last offseason after playing his entire big league career in Chicago.

More than just another shot to keep playing, the Angels represented a homecoming for Hendricks -- an opportunity to put on the uniform of the team he grew up rooting for just 20 minutes down the road in Mission Viejo.

It meant having 30-plus family members and friends in attendance for all his starts, and driving around his hometown, past the fields he played Little League in.

"It’s been so special for that too,” he said. “This year has been super special for a lot of reasons, and that’s one of them.”