Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks took to social media Thursday to express his displeasure about death threats he says he received following Boston’s most recent loss the the New York Mets.

In a post on Instagram, Hendriks said comments were directed at both him and his family.

“Just as an FYI: Threats against me and my wife’s life are horrible and cruel. You need help,” Hendriks wrote in the post. “Leaving comments and telling me to commit suicide and how you wish I died from cancer is disgusting and vile.”

Hendriks, a 36-year-old reliever who previously battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has appeared in 11 games this season. He’s 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA.

Hendriks relieved starter Garrett Crochet with one out in the sixth inning of Boston’s 5-1 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday. He finished the inning but gave up three straight singles to start the seventh, including an infield hit by Luisangel Acuña that was initially ruled an out before replays showed he beat the throw to first.

“Maybe you should step back and reevaluate your life’s purpose before hiding behind a screen and attacking players and their families,” Hendriks added in his post. “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.”

The incident comes less than a month after Red Sox All-Star left fielder Jarren Duran said a fan near the dugout in Cleveland said “something inappropriate” to him after he flied out during a 13-3 victory over the Guardians.

That came days after the debut of a Netflix documentary that included Duran opening up about his mental health and discussing a past suicide attempt.

Former Brewer Ruf sues Reds over injury

Former major league outfielder/first baseman Darin Ruf is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages after he suffered a career-ending injury while crashing into an uncovered tarp roller at Great American Ballpark two years ago.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas charges the Reds with negligence in failing to maintain safe field conditions and specifically cites the presence of the unpadded metal tarp roller.

“This didn’t need to happen,” Ruf said in a statement. “I wish it didn’t happen. Players shouldn’t have to worry about hidden hazards like that on a major league field.”

Ruf was playing first base for Milwaukee when he was injured during the third inning of the Brewers’ 5-4, 11-inning victory over the Reds on June 2, 2023. In the third inning,

Ruf was chasing a foul pop when his knee hit the end of the tarp roller.

According to the complaint, Ruf suffered “permanent and substantial deformities to his knee.” Ruf went on the 60-day injured list and never played in the major leagues again.

Ruf’s complaint says the end of the tarp roller was made of sharp metal and had no protective cushioning or cap.

“This was an obvious and avoidable risk,” Tad Thomas, Ruf’s attorney, said in a release announcing the lawsuit. “There are basic safety protocols every MLB team should follow. Leaving an unpadded metal roller on the edge of the field is inexcusable.”

The Reds had no immediate response to a message seeking comment.

Ruf is seeking punitive and compensatory damages. The complaint says the Reds didn’t take reasonable precautions to keep the stadium safe and also are liable for the negligent acts of the grounds crew’s “reckless” conduct.

Ruf, 38, played in the majors from 2012-23 with the Philadelphia Phillies (2012-16), San Francisco Giants (2020-22, 2023), New York Mets (2022) and Brewers (2023). He batted .239 with a .329 on-base percentage, 67 homers and 205 RBIs in 582 career games.

Verlander goes on IL with pectoral strain

The San Francisco Giants placed winless right-hander Justin Verlander on the 15-day injured list with a strained right pectoral muscle.

Verlander left his most recent start on Sunday against the Athletics early after struggling with his velocity and command because of discomfort.

He threw on the side on Wednesday and still had issues, so he was placed on the injured list before the team begins a road trip on Friday in Washington.

The move is retroactive to Monday and the Giants are hopeful Verlander will be back after 15 days and missing only two starts. Verlander said the issue wasn’t related to the neck problems that sidelined him for much of 2024.

The 42-year-old Verlander has struggled in his first season with the Giants and is still searching for his first win after 10 starts. He is 0-3 with a 4.33 ERA.

The three-time AL Cy Young Award winner and 2011 AL MVP has 41 strikeouts and 21 walks for his worst ratio since 2008 and is allowing the most baserunners per inning (1.404) of any season with more than two starts.

Verlander has a career record of 262-150 with a 3.31 ERA in 536 starts.

The Giants have not decided on who will take Verlander’s place in the rotation on Saturday at Washington.

Briefly

Red sox >> The Boston Red Sox acquired first baseman Ryan Noda from the Los Angeles Angels in a deal for cash. He was optioned to Triple-A Worchester.

yankees >> New York Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. He had been dealing with inflammation for the past three weeks and the pain intensified as of late.

guardians >> Cleveland Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas was activated from the 10-day injured list. Thomas had been on the IL since April 20 with a bruised right wrist.

athletics >> Athletics third baseman Gio Urshela will head to the injured list after straining his left hamstring in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels. He is batting .224 with no homers and 13 RBIs in 32 games this season.

brewers >> The Milwaukee Brewers activated pitcher Aaron Civale off the 15-day injured list and designated veteran reliever Joel Payamps for assignment.

astros >> The Houston Astros placed right-hander Ronel Blanco on the 15-day injured list Thursday with inflammation in his right elbow. The move, which is retroactive to Tuesday, comes as the starter seeks a second opinion on his injury.