The Red Sox might not have to wait too long for one of their offseason signings to contribute this year.
Boston signed Patrick Sandoval to a two-year contract. The left-hander underwent Tommy John surgery on June 26, which meant he likely wouldn’t be able to pitch until midway through the season at the earliest.
However, the 28-year-old revealed on MassLive’s “Fenway Rundown” podcast that he underwent an internal brace procedure, not full Tommy John surgery. He added that he started his throwing program a couple of weeks ago and is progressing well ahead of spring training.
“Starting to feel more and more like an athlete every day,” Sandoval told Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam, per MassLive. “That’s kind of the biggest grind of it at the beginning, not being able to do much activity at all and then slowly ramping up. I’m in a good spot and I feel really good.
“To get back and be able to compete and help this team win games down the stretch, that’s my goal for this year. To be able to work my way back and be able to compete in those games.”
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Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow was optimistic Sandoval could be a key contributor in the second half of the season, and the southpaw’s clarification of his surgery should add optimism of that being a reality.
The 28-year-old told MassLive he was thrilled that Boston was interested in him and that he’s excited to get to work with the Red Sox. He’ll continue his rehab as the team takes their time figuring out his role on the pitching staff.
Featured image via Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images
