Red Sox Ace Chris Sale To Pitch In Portland, Maine

Coming out of the all-star break, the Boston Red Sox are making moves to enhance their chance at making the playoffs in the 2021 season.

Prospects Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck have joined the big club and the Red Sox unquestioned ace, Chris Sale, has begun a rehab assignment from Tommy John surgery.

Sale's first appearance went so well, the Red Sox have already decided to send him to Portland to pitch for the Sea Dogs next week.

According to Alex Speire of the Boston Globe, Sale is tentatively scheduled to pitch at Hadlock Field against the Harrisburg Senators Tuesday, July 20th. If everything goes to plan, Sale could toss as many as 5 innings in that rehab start. Sale is likely to make 3 more appearances in the minor leagues before rejoining the Red Sox and there is an outside shot that his Tuesday start for the Sea Dogs may not be his only appearance for the Sea Dogs before elevating to join the Worcester affiliate.

It was announced in March of 2020 that Sale would need Tommy John surgery after the discovery of a tear in his elbow ligament. Sale's 2019 season was marred with a loss of velocity and elbow pain/soreness that kept Sale from looking like the dominant pitcher he had been for the better part of a decade. Presumably, Sale will return to the mound for the Boston Red Sox sometime in August, nearly two full years since he last took the mound in a Major League Baseball game.