CHICAGO -- Red Sox lefty Chris Sale took another step toward returning to the team’s rotation Monday.
Sale threw a 15-pitch bullpen in Fort Myers, marking the second time he has gotten off the mound since being temporarily shut down from throwing due to a minor non-baseball medical matter that has not been explained by the team. Manager Alex Cora said Sale was upbeat about Monday’s session and will throw again Friday. The lefty will likely throw a 25-pitch bullpen and is a couple of sessions away from facing hitters for the first time since he fractured his rib cage during a private workout in February.
“If everything goes well (Friday), probably one more bullpen, then after that, live (batting practice) or (simulated) game,” Cora said. “Hopefully, we can get going. I talked to him today. He’s in good spirits. He liked what he saw.”
The Red Sox have not mapped out an exact timetable for Sale’s return but he could ramp up quickly once he starts facing hitters. A couple of live batting practices or simulated games could quickly lead into rehab outings at minor league affiliates. It’s unclear how many rehab outings the Sox want to see Sale have before activating him. It will likely be less than the five starts he made last summer while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
“It’s a lot different than last year as far as building up,” Cora said. “This is not an arm injury.”
The Red Sox have gotten a solid performance from their starting rotation so far this season but Cora is excited about the reinforcements that could still come. Along with Sale, James Paxton (who resumed throwing last week after posterior elbow soreness shut down his Tommy John rehab) and prospect Bryan Mata (who is hitting triple digits in simulated games in Fort Myers, which has been “eye-opening” to Cora) could impact the rotation later in the year. Connor Seabold and Josh Winckowski are two other high-level starters who have pitched well at Triple-A Worcester.
“I think we’ve got some interesting guys between these two who can impact this club later on in the season,” Cora said. “We feel comfortable with our pitching depth.”
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