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Alex Cora maps out Chris Sale’s road back to Red Sox rotation after injury
Sale threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and "felt good."
Chris Sale didn’t travel with the Red Sox on their road trip to Oakland, instead staying in Boston to throw a bullpen session on Tuesday — an important step in his return to the mound.
Sale was listed on the injury report on June 9 after suffering a stress reaction in his left shoulder blade. At the time, Alex Cora acknowledged the concerns for his oft-injured starter, but he added that the team hoped Sale could rehab and pitch again “at one point this season.”
Fortunately, it appears Sale is on track barring a major setback. The 34-year-old “felt good” on Tuesday, according to Cora, who mapped out Sale’s road to return. This weekend, Sale will throw another bullpen session. After that, he will take part in a pair of live batting practices. If everything goes smoothly, he will go on rehab assignment.
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“He’s feeling great,” Cora said on Tuesday. “He is. Obviously this week we gave him a few days. He’s actually in Cooperstown. His kid is playing up there. He’s probably back already and then attack the weekend the right way and be ready for that bullpen.”
The Red Sox should get a number of reinforcements in the relatively near future. Reliever John Schreiber has been out since mid-May with a teres major strain, but he could return as soon as the Red Sox’s series against the Braves. Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock, meanwhile, have both started playing catch again, although their return timetables are unknown. On Tuesday, Cora said Houck — who lost seven pounds while on a liquid diet after taking a line drive to the face in June — would need two weeks of catch before moving along the timeline.
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“He’s been able to do his workouts,” Cora said. “Keeping his arm moving, which is the most important thing.”
The Red Sox fell 6-5 to the A’s on Wednesday, their second loss in as many days.
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