Three weeks ago, the Boston Red Sox dealt with a difficult injury blow to Liam Hendriks. Fast forward to Saturday, and Hendriks has been recalled, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.

The news comes at a crucial time, as the Red Sox are 11-10 and sit in third place in a tightly contested American League East. However, the closer also has some competition.

After the team signed Aroldis Chapman, Hendriks’s role might change. Still, bringing in the former All-Star can pay serious dividends for them.

For instance, the Australian native is a strikeout machine. Plus, he’s been known to be a key pitcher in high-stress situations. That mental toughness is a necessity for any team, especially one like Boston.

They will be pressured all season and will endure more hurdles. Luckily, though, Hendriks brings experience to the bullpen, and something that the other guys can gain insight from.

Liam Hendriks can boost the Red Sox bullpen

If he is used appropriately, Hendriks and Chapman can be a lethal one-two punch for specific situations. The latter could be the closer, or it could be Hendriks, depending on the matchup.

As tight as the AL East is, every win matters, and every situation is as important as the next one. The chemistry between the two should be good, considering what happened in spring training.

For instance, Hendriks made an unselfish closer admission about Chapman. The duo can make a positive impact once he returns from his injury.

Either way, Boston got one of its most impactful players back. Even though the team is only 21 games in, they look to have all the help they can get.

At the end of the day, the Red Sox might have some more juice in the bullpen thanks to Hendriks’s return. It’ll be worth noting if he makes an immediate impact or not.