Chris Sale Will Be Red Sox 'Opener' Tuesday Vs. Blue Jays
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox will get their ace back next week, though Chris Sale will not be going to distance against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Sale will toss one more bullpen session over the weekend before being activated from the DL, and will be Boston's "opener" Tuesday night when they start a three-game set against Toronto at Fenway Park, manager Alex Cora announced on Friday. The lefty will be on a 40-pitch limit, or toss two innings, before making way for Nathan Eovaldi out of the bullpen.
"Little by little, we're getting healthy," said Cora.
Sale has been on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation twice since the All-Star break, and he's made just one start since the end of July. The plan is to have him slowly build up his workload, with him pegged to go three innings in his second outing. The hope is he'll be up to six or seven innings (or 100 pitches) by the time he makes his final start of the regular season, with no limits or restrictions in the playoffs.
For the season, Sale is 12-4 with an AL-leading 1.97 ERA in 23 starts.
Cora also announced Friday that second baseman Dustin Pedroia is being shut down for the rest of the season.