Chris Sale Met By FCL Red Sox Teammates Before Major League Return

There were plenty of former teammates in the building to see Sale

Chris Sale made his return return to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday after 265 days away from Major League Baseball. It was a long road back for Sale, but evidently he made lots of friends along the way.

The FCL Red Sox made a two-hour drive from JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Fla. to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on Monday to see Boston’s top pitching prospect Brayan Bello make his second career big-league start. When they got to the Trop, the minor-leaguers also got to see former teammate Chris Sale, who made a pair of rehab appearances with them in June.

Sale, just over 24 hours from his return, seemed to be relaxed as he joined on a group hug with a group mostly made up of players 10-plus years his junior.

It was a trip to remember for the FCL Red Sox, who have been dominant this season in Florida Complex League play with an 18-9 record. Miguel Bleis, Boston’s No. 7 prospect, according to Sox Prospects, is a part of that group, slashing .280/.512/.838 with three home runs in 21 games.

You can watch Sale’s return to the Red Sox live on NESN, with first pitch taking place at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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