Chris Sale getting closer to return, open to any role on Red Sox
BOSTON -- Chris Sale is back in Boston and can envision his return to the Red Sox in the very near future. Whether he comes back as a starter or a temporary reliever, the southpaw is open to anything to help his team.
Because Sale hasn't been able to help the Red Sox much over the last two years. He's pitched just 51.2 innings since the start of the 2020 season, with Tommy John surgery and a rib injury keeping him sidelined for much of the last two-plus years.
But Sale is inching closer to a return after the rib injury -- and a pair of setbacks -- delayed his start to his 2022 campaign. He threw live batting practice in Fort Myers on Monday and hit 96 MPH on the radar gun. He is scheduled to simulate two innings with a live BP session at Fenway Park on Thursday.
Barring a setback, Sale could begin a minor league rehab assignment next week. He said that he is ready to get back on the mound in some game action.
"Physically, mentally, everything, I feel like I'm ready to start this process and get going, and get back here quick," Sale told reporters on Tuesday.
Sale should be back in the big leagues sometime in July, though his rehab assignment could be a short one if Boston decides to use him as a reliever when he returns. Sale said that he's open to anything, since he hasn't been able to do much of anything to help the team in a long, long time.
"Nothing really matters other than getting back out there," he said. "Hand me the ball, I'll throw it until you take it. That's where I'm at.
"I'm as good as a sack of potatoes right now for this team. At least that would feed them," Sale joked. "I'm doing literally nothing to help this team. That sucks."
The Boston rotation has been pretty solid this season, with Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta, Michael Wacha, Garrett Whitlock, and Rich Hill taking care of business over the first two months. Eovaldi and Whitlock recently landed on the IL, but should be back around the same time that Sale returns.
