Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora has final injury return dates for starting pitchers Chris Sale and Garrett Whitlock. Cora expects Sale to start Friday against the Detroit Tigers and throw four innings, while Whitlock should be on the hill Sunday, per Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald.
Boston put Chris Sale on the 60-day IL on June 9th — eight days after he injured his left shoulder. Two months later, Sale is now eligible to return to action. Sale's injury history has really slowed him down over the last five years. He missed the entire 2020 campaign and made just 11 starts over the next two seasons.
This season, in 11 starts before his shoulder issue started, Sale went 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA, striking out 71 in just 59 innings.
Garrett Whitlock, on the other hand, has struggled with injuries this year in his first season as a full-time starter. He's been out for over a month for the second time this season, with his last start coming on July 2nd. In 10 starts so far, Whitlock posted a 5.23 ERA over 51.2 innings.
The Red Sox sit half a game above the New York Yankees for last place in the AL East. However, that division is no joke, and all five teams are still in playoff contention. At 59-55, Boston is just 4.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third Wild Card spot.
Winning the division is likely out of question, barring an unbelievable closing stretch. But still, getting these two starting pitchers back into the rotation should be helpful for the Red Sox to make a push for the postseason.
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