After a rough start, the Boston Red Sox have begun to play better lately, as they are 7-3 in their last 10 games. To be at 30-28 after a woeful 10-19 start is very impressive, to say the least. While Boston's lineup has been one of baseball's best, their pitching has been anything but in the 2022 MLB season.
One player who can change that is ace left-hander Chris Sale, whose rehab from a rib fracture was delayed in May due to an undisclosed non-baseball injury. Likely due to their need for better starting pitching, the Red Sox have a bold plan that will allow Sale to return sooner. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic has the details.
Adding Sale to the bullpen is not out of the question at this point, pitching coach Dave Bush said.
“We have to get to a point where he’s facing hitters in a live game situation before we really look at that too much,” Bush said. “That being said, I think everything is on the table at this point. If it suits him and us for him to come back sooner and in fewer innings and we have a bullpen that’s capable of absorbing the extra innings, then maybe that’s an option.”
Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush hasn't ruled out Sale pitching out of the bullpen in his return. Bush said that “everything is on the table.” The Red Sox have gotten the seventh-most innings pitched out of their bullpen this season per Fangraphs, so it is, in theory, a plan that could work.
It also makes sense for the player. Sale hasn't pitched a full season for the Red Sox in three years, yet the staff desperately needs his career 3.03 ERA and 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings back in the rotation.
Sale, who is scheduled to face hitters next week, could return around the All-Star break. The Red Sox are going to do whatever allows the lefty to return the quickest- and safest.
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