Red Sox ace Chris Sale says rehab is on track, plans to be ready for spring training
In his first public comments since he was cleared to throw after an elbow injury, Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale said Friday that his rehab continues to go well and he expects to be ready for spring training.
Speaking at a fundraiser at his alma mater Florida Gulf Coast University, Sale spoke briefly to the Naples Daily News about coming back from the injury in his left pitching elbow that ended his season prematurely.
Sunday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told WEEI in Boston that Sale had his follow-up visit with renowned surgeon James Andrews the week before. Sale said Friday he started throwing a couple weeks ago after getting the all clear.
“We’re progressing really well,” Sale said. “We’re about to start ramping up (throwing) now so everything has been great. I’m in a good spot.”
Sale kept his comments short. Instead the 6-foot-6 lefty preferred to keep the focus on the FGCU fundraiser, where he and wife Brianne donated $1 million to the athletic program.
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On Aug. 17, in his third season with Boston, Sale was placed on the 10-day injured list because of inflammation in the elbow. He avoided Tommy John surgery, but Sale did not pitch again the rest of the season.
When he began throwing recently, it was the first time since his last appearance with the Red Sox on Aug. 13.
Sale said there was “no doubt” he’d be ready for spring training. Pitchers and catchers report to Red Sox spring training on Feb. 11 in Fort Myers, just a few miles up the road from where Sale went to school.
Right now, Sale is throwing three days a week and will increase to a few more days soon, he said. Then he’ll start playing long toss, then throwing off the mound.
“I’m good,” Sale said. “Everything is going really well. We’ve had a really good rehab process. The Red Sox training staff and strength coaches, they’ve taken really good care of me. I’m really appreciative of them.
“We’ve got a lot of work done, and we’ve got a long way to go, but I’ve got good people in my corner.”
Sale went 6-11 last season with a 4.40 earned-run average while battling elbow soreness. It was the first time he has had a losing record since he entered the majors in 2010, the same year he was drafted No. 13 overall out of FGCU.
Sale made seven consecutive All-Star appearances after becoming a starter in 2012. He went 99-59 in those seven seasons.
Last year was particularly disappointing for Sale, who won a World Series title in 2018 in his second year in Boston. He started Game 1 of the Series and recorded the final out in relief of the championship-clinching Game 5.