Chris Sale made his much-anticipated first rehab start on Thursday, and the results were promising.
The Boston Red Sox ace took the mound for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox against the FCL Orioles. The start marked Sale's first game action since 2019 as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery.
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SIGN UP HERE The left-hander tossed three shutout innings, tallying five strikeouts while allowing four hits and no walks. According to SoxProspects.com's Ian Cundall, Sale's fastball topped out at 94 mph and his command of his slider and changeup improved over the course of his outing.
Check out two of Sale's strikeouts below:
Sale allowed a leadoff single in the first inning but bounced back to retire the next three batters. He struck out three in the second while giving up two more singles, then allowed a double in the third before finishing strong with two Ks.
An encouraging day overall, especially considering the original plan was for Sale to only pitch two innings.
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Sale's next rehab start likely will come sometime early next week.
