Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
By Conor Roche
Chris Sale’s return from Tommy John surgery is getting closer and closer.
The Red Sox’ southpaw threw off the mound at Fenway Park on Friday afternoon. Several of Sale’s teammates gathered to watch his bullpen session, which appears to have the team excited.
“We need to try not to get too excited,” Alex Cora said. “It was that good.”
Chris Sale is throwing off the mound at Fenway now. pic.twitter.com/cVPsKpw9DU
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) June 11, 2021
Cora added that Sale told him it was the best he’s felt pitching since the surgery in March 2020.
Friday’s bullpen session is Sale’s second at Fenway this week. He threw from the mound in the bullpen on Tuesday, joining the team for the first time after spending months rehabbing in Fort Meyers, Fla.
“If it was up to me, I’d be starting tomorrow,” Sale jokingly told reporters Tuesday.
Cora liked what he saw on Tuesday.
“He’s in a great place mentally,” Cora said. “Physically, he looks a lot stronger than two years ago. Just excited that he’s a baseball player again. Now we’ve just got to be patient.”
Sale’s next step in the recovery process is to throw against hitters, which will happen in Boston. Sale said he would be open to pitching as a reliever to return to the team more quickly, as opposed to the traditional route of pitching in the minors prior to making a return to the majors.
“The quicker that I can be back on this team, I would like that,” Sale said. “That [decision] is way above my pay grade and where I’m at right now. I’m focused on my next day and getting off the mound and then whatever the next step is, take that.”
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
Stay up to date with everything Boston. Receive the latest news and breaking updates, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com