Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale didn’t wait until his career was through to make a trip to Cooperstown.
While Sale hasn’t pitched since June 1 because of a shoulder injury, he appeared to make the most of his All-Star break by getting away from the game for a little bit. At least the big league game, that is.
Sale spent part of his break at the Baseball Hall of Fame in upstate New York, the museum shared in a tweet Wednesday. The big left-hander even stopped to pose in front of the Red Sox “Your Team Today” exhibit in which there are some of his own artifacts.
Sale also posed for photos with some other artifacts he donated, including one of his former (uncut) White Sox jerseys. Sale was in town as part of a trip with his son’s youth team, according to Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch.
Story continues below advertisement
As the southpaw gets back to work, Sale could play a massive role in how the Boston season plays out. Sale revealed late last month that he received some good news regarding his injury, a stress reaction in his left scapula. In fact, Sale said he was ahead of schedule in his rehab and might be nearing a return.
If he can return healthy and produce at the level he did prior to getting hurt, it will be a major pick-up for the Red Sox. Sale was 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in the six starts before he got hurt on June 1 against Cincinnati.
As for a more formal return to the Hall, Sale — seemingly a sure thing through his first nine big league seasons — doesn’t have the clear path to Cooperstown he once did. He has logged just 107 1/3 total innings since the end of the 2019 season. The 34-year-old might be running out of time to further pad his resume, but despite his trip to the sport’s hallowed ground, he probably has a few Red Sox short-term goals he’s more focused on at the moment anyway.
Story continues below advertisement
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
