We've had nothing but positive updates on Chris Sale for a few weeks now, and that trend continued Tuesday with some of the best news yet.
The Red Sox pitcher, who underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2020, will face batters for the first time since the operation Saturday at Fenway Park, manager Alex Cora told reporters prior to Boston's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Sale threw a bullpen in Portland with the Sea Dogs that consisted of 45 pitches through two simulated innings. His fastball reached 92 mph.
This certainly is good news as the southpaw appears to be a bit ahead of schedule. Cora revealed last week that he believed Sale would head to Portland on July 1 and face hitters later that week. The manager did note he has yet to talk to the training staff, so he doesn't have the full details.
Sale is scheduled to return at some point this summer. There has yet to be any sort of timeline, but throwing to live batters only can mean he is getting closer.
