Chris Sale’s spring training didn’t get off to the best start, but he seems to be on the right track.
The Boston Red Sox pitcher has been fighting off pneumonia and had a slower start in Fort Myers, Fla., but has been optimistic he’ll be ready for Opening Day.
And some more good news emerged from JetBlue Park on Wednesday when the southpaw threw 45 pitches off the mound, per The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham.
Check out this excerpt from Abraham’s Wednesday notes:
Roenicke said the next step would be for Sale to face hitters on Saturday. He likely would do that twice before being cleared for a game.
Sale missed the first week of workouts while recovering from pneumonia and the Sox have proceeded cautiously with their ace since.
And while Abraham noted there seems to be “little chance” Sale will be on the roster come Opening Day, a lot can happen between now and March 26.
Boston already is slim with starting pitchers. David Price now is on the Los Angeles Dodgers, while Rick Porcello signed with the New York Mets. That leaves Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Pérez to start games.
Sale is looking to bounce back from a 2019 season that ended early due to elbow inflammation. The lefty finished last year with a 6-11 record and 4.40 ERA.
