Help is on the way for the Boston Red Sox, and just in the nick of time.
Boston, which at one point had a dozen players on the COVID list, activated reliever Hirokazu Sawamura on Monday. Left-hander Martin Perez returned on Tuesday.
But the big one comes Friday or Saturday when ace Chris Sale returns to face the Baltimore Orioles. Sale missed the beginning of the 2021 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and has gone 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA in five starts this year.
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The Boston Globe reports All-Star closer Matt Barnes also could return by the weekend. ESPN reports “outfielder Jarren Duran and infielder Christian Arroyo ... are at (Triple-A) Worcester working out. If all goes well, they could soon return to the team as well.”
And the Red Sox can use every healthy body they have. Per the Globe, starting Friday, the Sox will have 14 games over a period of 17 days to close the season.
The Red Sox are in Seattle on Wednesday, wrapping up a three-game series with the Mariners. Boston won on Tuesday, 8-4, which put them in a three-way tie with the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Wild-Card race.
The Red Sox have a favorable schedule for the stretch run. They have six games remaining with the Orioles, who are in last place in the American League East, and three with the Washington Nationals, who are in last place in the National League East. Sandwiched in there is a three-game series with the Yankees and a two-game set with the Mets as both New York teams visit Fenway Park.
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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