Three years after he closed out a World Series title for the Boston Red Sox, Chris Sale appears to be in the best physical condition of his life.
At least that's what his manager says.
A seven-time All-Star, Sale pitched three scoreless innings Thursday in his first rehab appearance in the Florida Complex League. While he allowed four hits, he also struck out five batters. Alex Cora says that Sale feels very well, which can be attributed in part to some lifestyle changes.
“Really good. Really good. I texted with him this morning, he felt great physically,” Cora said Friday, as noted by Lauren Campbell of NESN. “Everything went well. He’s really excited, like I said yesterday. The way he’s been able to come back on a daily basis is something that, it’s not that he’s surprised, he’s made some adjustments as far as his nutrition and his workouts and all that. He’s actually a lot stronger now than what he was a few years ago, and he’s very excited with that. If everything goes as planned he’ll be on the mound again on Tuesday in Portland.”
Sale's last major league start came in August of 2019, with the lanky lefty ultimately undergoing Tommy John surgery in March of 2020. Even with the abbreviated 2019 season, Sale ranked third in fWAR between 2012 and 2019, trailing only Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw, two potential Hall of Famers. If the 32-year-old is able to come back and put together a few more frontline seasons, he himself will end up with a compelling case for Cooperstown.
More importantly, the Red Sox will enter play Friday at 55-36, tied for the best record in. the American League. If Boston is able to get Sale back late in 2021 - even if he's not able to immediately be a workhorse - that could very well prove to be one of the biggest summer additions in the sport.
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