Sale, Barnes exit COVID-19 IL
The Red Sox trimmed their COVID-19 injured list roster to seven players as pitchers Chris Sale and Matt Barnes were activated.
Sale’s return came in time for him to start Friday against the Orioles. Barnes, who has 24 saves, returned to Boston’s bullpen.
Sale returned from Tommy John surgery with a five-inning outing Aug. 14 and in five appearances this year, he was 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA before testing positive for the coronavirus Sept. 10 while the team was in Chicago to face the White Sox.
“Sale is pitching today,” Boston manager Alex Cora told the Boston Herald, noting that Sale didn’t have a specific pitch count for the outing. “He’s got to let us know how he feels just like he did in Chicago and we decide what we do.
“But I don’t expect him to have a pitch limit or an innings limit. It is just a matter of how he feels and we go from there.”
Barnes, who was fully vaccinated, tested positive for the virus Aug. 29. He will be looking to turn things around after the 2021 All-Star posted a 13.50 ERA in 11 games in August.
“It never got terrible,” Barnes on Wednesday told the Hartford Courant of his battle with COVID-19. “I had like a bad cold for a few days.
But the hardest part was not being able to play baseball. We’re in September, we’re trying to make a push, guys are out their grinding, doing their things and having to sit on a couch for 10 days and missing this week because I have to get ready, it’s tough. But we’re living in a strange time right now, crazy things are happening.”
Medical report: Marlins catcher Jorge Alfaro went on the 10-day IL because of a calf strain. The list of players landing on the IL also includes Reds outfielder Tyler Naquin (bruised ribs), Diamondbacks first baseman Seth Beer (dislocated shoulder) and Yankees reliever Sal Romano (sprained finger) . ... Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, Astros catcher Jason
Castro, Royals outfielder Michael Taylor, Reds outfielder Jesse Winker and Rangers third baseman Andy Ibañez were activated from the IL . ... The list of players sent on rehab assignments includes Astros pitcher Tyler Ivey and Twins catcher Mitch Garver.
Briefly: Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons was placed on the restricted list and will miss his team’s series in Toronto this weekend. Simmons, who is from Curacao, is working to secure permanent U.S. residency. A trip to Canada would have slowed that process, the Athletic reported . ... The Twins promoted former Giants reliever Nick Vincent from Triple-A St. Paul, and former Giants reliever Shaun Anderson was sent to Triple-A by the Padres.