Sale back on Tuesday for two-inning start
Chris Sale will return to the Red Sox on Tuesday in the first of many small steps toward being fully ready for the postseason.
But this won’t be a regular Chris Sale appearance.
Sale will be held to a strict two-inning, 40-pitch limit as the Sox look to gradually work him back into shape after missing almost a month with a shoulder impingement.
Nathan Eovaldi will be ready to pitch behind Sale in a home game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
“Little by little, we’re getting healthy,” manager Alex Cora said.
Little by little is their new plan with Sale, who missed just two weeks on his first trip to the disabled list in July and threw five shutout innings on 68 pitches in his return.
This time, the Sox plan on starting slow and increasing his workload by about one inning in each consecutive start.
“Two the first time, hopefully three the second time, then keep going,” Cora said. “And then the last one, whenever it is, is like a fullgo, six innings, 100 pitches, or seven innings, 100 pitches.”
Sale should have four starts left in the regular season, one against the Blue Jays, two against the Yankees and one against the Indians. If he stays on turn, his last game should be on Sept.28, exactly seven days before Game 1 of the American League Division Series.
Sale has a career 1.68 ERA in 29 starts with at least six days’ rest.
“There’s a few days there, with the off days, that I think we’re going to take advantage of him building up and taking care of other guys, which is very important,” Cora said.
Eovaldi may return to the rotation next weekend against the Mets, but the Sox aren’t sure if they’re going to put him in the bullpen for the rest of the year.
“It’s going to help if we go that direction, but at the same time, with him, we’ve got to be careful, too,” Cora said. “He’s coming out of Tommy John surgery. He’s been pitching a lot this season. It’s a good time for him to kind of like, slow him down so we can build him up again and go wherever we have to go.”
After Sale on Tuesday, David Price will pitch Wednesday, Eduardo Rodriguez on Thursday and Hector Velazquez on Friday.
The Sox are trying to get extra rest for Rick Porcello.
Brian Johnson has been moved to the bullpen for the time being, as the Sox want to see if he can contribute as a lefty specialist. He appears to be a longshot to make the postseason roster.
“We feel like Hector is actually throwing the ball well as a starter,” Cora said. “I know he had a tough first inning the other day, but he’s been throwing the ball well, and we feel comfortable with him.
“At the same time, we need B.J. to get back in the bullpen and see if there’s a role out there, start getting lefties out. Obviously, he can give us two or three innings. But we’ll see if he can be a guy that can get lefties out.”