It’s a guessing game on Sale’s return
History of Tommy John rehabs points to summer months
Because there’s such a wide range of possible return dates for injured starter Chris SaLe, the Red Sox are being coy about when he could make his 2021 season debut.
“You can’t take shortcuts with this process but we have every confidence he’s going to come out of this as the Chris Sale we know,” chief baseball officer
ChaiM BLooM said.
Manager ALex Cora said when Sale does return, he’s only expecting him to pitch five or six innings at a time.
Pitching coach Dave Bush said he knows Sale will miss the first month of the season, but otherwise he isn’t sure when he’ll return.
“I think that goal will be clarified later on this spring, I would hope, but I don’t know exactly,” Bush said.
The likely range falls between May and August. It’s a big range. And it affects not only how successful the Red Sox will be this season, but if they’d use a five- or six-man rotation. Bush said he’s open to either but the team is currently planning to switch from a six- to a five-man rotation in a few weeks.
Typical recovery from Tommy John surgery is 1214 months. Sale had his surgery last March. He also had a setback this winter when his neck started bothering him, but said he’s fully recovered now. A return sometime in the summer months seems likely.
Here are some notable starting pitchers to have
Tommy John surgery in March or April between 2014 and 2018, and when they returned:
Taijuan Walker, 25
Surgery: April 2018 Returned: September 2019
ERA before/ERA after: 3.96/2.65
Dinelson Lamet, 25
Surgery: April 2018 Returned: July 2019 ERA before/ERA after: 4.57/3.11
Shelby Miller, 26
Surgery: April 2017
Returned: June 2018
ERA Before/ERA After: 3.67/9.15
Yu Darvish, 28
Surgery: MArCh 2015
Returned: MAy 2016
ERA Before/ERA After: 3.27/3.65
Ivan Nova, 27
Surgery: April 2014
Returned: June 2015
ERA Before/ERA After: 4.20/4.50
Matt Moore, 25
Surgery: April 2014
Returned: July 2015
ERA Before/ERA After: 3.53/5.13
Patrick Corbin, 24
Surgery: MArCh 2014
Returned: July 2015
ERA Before/ERA After: 3.80/3.86
AL East news and notes
NEW YORK: The YAnkees welComed BACk former 18-gAme winner
Domingo German After he served An 81-gAme suspension for domestic violence. The mixed reAction to his return wAs A reminder thAt MLB’s domestic violence policy is Built on reseArch thAt indicAtes ABusers Are less likely to continue their violent BehAvior if they’re given A second chAnce.
According to A 2018 study By the IndiAnA University MAurer School of LAw, “A ‘zero tolerAnce’ policy thAt results in A perpetrAtor Being fired offers no protection to the victim. In fAct, this type of response By An employer not only potentiAlly plAces BlAme on the victim But Also gives the perpetrAtor AdditionAl time to pArticipAte in ABuse.”
TAMPA: The hot topic eArly in RAys cAmp is Wander Franco, who turns 20 years old on Monday and is the Best prospect in BaseBall for the second straight year. He told reporters in Tampa he’s ready to play in the Big leagues, But the switch-hitting shortstop is likely slated for the minors to start the year. The Rays have a good shortstop in 25-year-old Willy Adames.
TORONTO: Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
was supposed to be baseball’s next superstar, but the son of his Hall of Fame father by the same name has so far disappointed through two big league seasons (.269 average, .778 OPS). This spring, the soon-to-be 22-year-old said he lost 42 pounds in an effort to get quicker. He was listed at 250 pounds last year.
The story brings back memories of Pablo Sandoval in Red Sox camp in 2016, and former hefty sluggers John Kruk and Dimitri Young recalled how they actually got worse at hitting after losing weight.
Young, who played at 295 pounds in his final season, said when he thinned down, “I didn’t have the pop. It was like the ball had a parachute on it and it would go swoosh, and just sit down instead of taking off with that extra girth.”
BALTIMORE: The Orioles are welcoming back their best player, Trey Mancini, who is scheduled to start at first base on Sunday in his first appearance since spring training games last March. He was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer and missed the entire season. He hit 35 homers when he last played in 2019.