The Boston Red Sox are set to see a familiar face on Wednesday night when they take on Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
Sale, who was traded to Atlanta in the offseason, is off to a strong start to the season, posting a 3.44 ERA with 42 strikeouts over 36.2 innings pitched and a 0.95 WHIP.
But that is no surprise to Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
“He’s been good,” Cora told WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” on Wednesday. “Obviously, we had a good idea he’d be healthy this season. He wen through a lot [of injuries] the last few but the offseason was a normal one. …He met with [Andrew Bailey] but then got traded. I’m happy for him. He’s in a good place, good situation.”
Bailey, the Red Sox pitching coach, has been credited with guiding the pitching staff to the best ERA in the majors at 2.65 despite a slew of injuries to the starting rotation.
It’s fair to wonder just how Sale may have fit in with Boston’s staff had he remained with the team this season and working with Bailey.
“Yeah, the conversation [with Bailey] was this is when you’re good, this is when you struggle so let’s try to go out every five days and be the best version of Chris Sale,” Cora said. “This is what we’re doing with everyone here. … I do believe [Sale] in this situation, it was going to be fine. I think with him it’s more about health. Throughout last year – if you took away Baltimore, and I know you can’t do that – he really had a great season. I think the Orioles did some damage to his number but overall, it was a solid one. When you’re one of the best you’re going to be okay and I think he would have been great.”
Meanwhile, Sale has appeared to get better in his last two starts, striking out 15 and allowing just two earned runs in his last 13 innings pitched.
“We have to grind with him,” Cora added, “but he looks very similar to when he’s on top of his game.”