Not long after Liam Hendriks was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the All-Star closer set an ambitious goal for himself. He wanted to return to the Chicago White Sox before the end of May.

He made it — with a couple days to spare.

Hendriks was activated from the 15-day injured list before Monday night’s home game against the Los Angeles Angels, clearing another hurdle in his recovery from cancer.

“What he’s done and how he’s done it has been remarkable,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “It’s an inspiration to everybody on this club, it’s an inspiration to everybody who follows the game and knows of Liam.”

He entered Monday’s game in the eighth inning, making his first big league appearance since Oct. 3 of last season. He made 27 pitches and allowed two runs, three hits and a walk in one inning, leaving to a standing ovation.

The former A’s reliever isn’t expected to go back into his closer job right away.

“The idea for me, in talking to him, is to break him in in another inning that’s not the ninth inning,” Grifol said before Monday’s game. “However, baseball has a way of handling that itself. I definitely would not hesitate to do it. But right now, our conversations have been throwing innings prior to the ninth.”

CUBS 1, RAYS 0 >> Marcus Stroman pitched a one-hitter, and Chicago beat major league-leading Tampa Bay on Monday at Wrigley Field.

Stroman (5-4) dazzled in his fourth complete game and second shutout in nine major league seasons.

He set a season high with 105 pitches and matched his high with eight strikeouts. The right-hander walked one in winning his third straight start.

The only hit Stroman allowed was when Wander Franco delivered a clean single to left leading off the seventh.

The Cubs got their run in the fourth on Mike Tauchman’s sacrifice fly.

Rays rookie Taj Bradley (3-2) was a tough-luck loser, allowing just one unearned run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.

ROYALS 7, CARDINALS 0 >> Josh Staumont and Mike Mayers came within six outs of the first combined perfect game in major league history before Nolan Arenado lined a leadoff single in the eighth of Kansas City’s win at St. Louis.

Staumont served as the opener in a planned bullpen game. He struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning, throwing 14 pitches.

Mayers retired 18 consecutive batters before Arenado lined a 1-0 slider to left on his 72nd pitch. Willson Contreras followed with a single to center that stopped an 0-for-27 slide.

TWINS 7, ASTROS 5, 10 INNINGS >> Rookie Royce Lewis homered with four RBIs in his season debut and Ryan Jeffers hit a two-run shot in the 10th to give Minnesota a win at Houston.

RANGERS 5, TIGERS 0 >> Nathan Eovaldi won his sixth straight decision, Corey Seager hit a three-run homer with four RBIs and visiting Texas defeated Detroit.

Eovaldi (7-2) allowed four hits and a season-high three walks in five innings with four strikeouts.