Chris Sale aiming to return
- Thread starter edoug
- Start date
Chris Sale is the only major league pitcher who is almost entirely obscured by one strand of safety netting.
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I guess I'm in the minority. I know the dude is public enemy number one due to the Covid shit, but I'm glad a serious health scare came back negative for him. Fingers crossed he comes back soon and stays healthy for the remainder of his contract (bahahahahahaha...I know...)
Sale's a bonehead, but he's our bonehead. Excepting perhaps yourself, we'd all like him to make a rational 21st century peace with medical science that's been around since the late 18th century. But no one is actually hoping the guy is hurt, sick, or ineffective.
Make no mistake, on a professional level I'm glad he's progressing. Hell, I hope he's the most valuable pitcher in the game for the remainder of his contract and plays a key role on several WS Championship teams.
I also think he's a headstrong idiot who's personal decisions will likely hurt the team and who's "accountability" is a whole lot of smoke and mirrors.
I'm vaccinated and need to continue to be up to date with my vaccines in order to travel into Canada for work on a regular basis, so...I'd like him to get vaccinated as well?
But, due to his vaccine status and contract, people are treating the guy like he's Curt Schilling Jr. Or maybe I'm misreading the room a little.
Are we talking solely about his vaccination status (which is a big deal) or is there anything else?
Yankees : Sale :: Dolphins : Brady
I don't think that having a foil makes a player unaccountable.
Conversely, Sale could take a look at Brady - who seemed to have very little interest in getting vaccinated - and learn a thing or two about putting his team first with regards to vaccines. Brady wasn't going to let a little shot derail his chance for another ring. He left that up to Aaron Donald.
Most notably in 2019 when the Yankees weren't his only issue and was eventually shut down in mid August. I can't hold a guy saying the right things and possibly not being able to deliver due to injury against him.
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I wouldn’t call him Curt Schilling Jr. but he’s definitely on my shit list.
Long set up, but worth it.
The vaccine stuff aside - and I don’t mean to handwaive it - I always feel for the injured athlete in these cases. Your body - your livelihood - is betraying you. You have a career with a very limited life span. You’re in pain doing the thing you’ve been doing your whole life. Your teammates are having ups and downs without you. It sucks.
Sale to begin his rehab in Ft Myers on Monday. If they max out his rehab period (30 days) and he has no set-backs, he'll be back around the All Star break.
View: https://twitter.com/PeteAbe/status/1537959867771539457
View: https://twitter.com/PeteAbe/status/1537959867771539457
I forgot he was on the team. If he comes back in July, he should be fresh for the late season which is ok with me.
It's probably worth remembering that, while he is starting from scratch, he's also not "returning from TJ surgery" this time. He sort of cleared that hurdle last year, in that he was healthy, but with diminished stuff. 2 years from surgery, I am cautiously optimistic for the first time in a while (mid 2018?) that his arm isn't ready to fall off and he might actually be good again.
I'm in the same boat. The way they were talking about him during the game last night, it sounded like they weren't planning to rush him through. They want him to build up to a 70+ pitch count before he is activated. That could take 4 rehab starts, it could take 6. Either way, I expect when he returns, he'll be a net positive for the rotation and an upgrade over Rich Hill.
If they are confident in Sale’s ability to return and be effective, do they attempt to trade a starter, probably Hill, in the coming weeks / month and a half? Can’t imagine the return would be particularly high but I see no way they can keep Hill in the pen, especially if Taylor comes back. They are going to need to clear some spots on the 40/26 at some point.
1.TINSTATMP
2. I’d much prefer Hill as a BP option that some of the combustible guys there already.
Can never have too much pitching. End.
As for clearing space on the 40/26 I'm sure some of the bullpen arms are fungible. And Winckowski/crawford will certainly go back to the minors to open rotation slots.
Well, to activate Sale, Taylor, and / or Paxton, you have to lose three players of the 40-man. Maybe it never comes to that, things happen, but you can’t keep all these guys so the “you can never have too much pitching” doesn’t really ring true.
Run with this some. Me too- but who? Brasier, Sawamura and Diekman are pretty bad. Robles hasn’t really been what he showed in September 21. Valdez I thought looked ready to turn into a big asset and that hasn’t panned out.
Yeah, I’d take Hill for 3 innings following Sale anytime over those.
If you could rebuild the pen right now with Sale back- going 70 pitches- who would you go with?
I don’t think Diekman is going anywhere. Strahm either. Davis seems at risk once Taylor is ready. I don’t see how you can add a fourth lefty, with a limit of 13 pitchers.
Houck, Robles, Schreiber, Danish from the RH side, leaves one spot amongst Brasier, Sawa, Barnes, etc.
Eovaldi, Sale, Wacha, Pivetta, Whitlock
Diekman, Strahm, Taylor / Davis
Houck, Robles, Schreiber, Danish, Brasier/Sawa/Barnes
If Paxton comes back and no one else is injured, Whitlock to the pen and imagine Danish or Schreiber goes down?
Potentially good problems to have.
Houck, Robles, Schreiber, Danish from the RH side, leaves one spot amongst Brasier, Sawa, Barnes, etc.
Eovaldi, Sale, Wacha, Pivetta, Whitlock
Diekman, Strahm, Taylor / Davis
Houck, Robles, Schreiber, Danish, Brasier/Sawa/Barnes
If Paxton comes back and no one else is injured, Whitlock to the pen and imagine Danish or Schreiber goes down?
Potentially good problems to have.
Alex Speier
@alexspeier
3m
Sale threw a bullpen this AM and remains on track to start Thursday in Portland. Taylor is pitching an inning tomorrow in Portland. Kiké Hernández has resumed throwing but still not swinging. Whitlock will face hitters on Friday in Chicago and go through fielding drills.
***
FYI. If Sale threw the bullpen in TOR, then he's vaccinated. If he threw it in Ft Myers, then unclear.
@alexspeier
3m
Sale threw a bullpen this AM and remains on track to start Thursday in Portland. Taylor is pitching an inning tomorrow in Portland. Kiké Hernández has resumed throwing but still not swinging. Whitlock will face hitters on Friday in Chicago and go through fielding drills.
***
FYI. If Sale threw the bullpen in TOR, then he's vaccinated. If he threw it in Ft Myers, then unclear.
Well he lives in Naples (and went to school on the Estero/FTM border) so if I had to bet, I’d say he threw it in Fort Myers
I suspect he did not travel with the team irrespective of his vax status. I think even vaxxed people have to test to cross the border, so why risk an asymptomatic test that could force isolation and delay his rehab? I bet no teams are taking non-essential personnel to Toronto this year for just that reason.
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
1m
Red Sox starter Chris Sale's first AB in Portland rehab start: 95 mph, 94 mph, 95 mph, 96 mph, 80 slider for K.
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
16m
Chris Sale threw 10 pitches in the first inning. 7 were fastballs: 95, 94, 95, 96, 95, 95, 93 (two-seam)
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
56s
Chris Sale's second inning: First batter: 76 slider, 78 slider, 94, 79 (swinging K) Second batter: 93, 77 slider, 94, 81 mph slider (single to left) Third batter: 93, 94, 93, 93 (swinging strikeout) Fourth batter: 86 mph changeup, 94, 95, 95 (K looking)
@SmittyOnMLB
1m
Red Sox starter Chris Sale's first AB in Portland rehab start: 95 mph, 94 mph, 95 mph, 96 mph, 80 slider for K.
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
16m
Chris Sale threw 10 pitches in the first inning. 7 were fastballs: 95, 94, 95, 96, 95, 95, 93 (two-seam)
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
56s
Chris Sale's second inning: First batter: 76 slider, 78 slider, 94, 79 (swinging K) Second batter: 93, 77 slider, 94, 81 mph slider (single to left) Third batter: 93, 94, 93, 93 (swinging strikeout) Fourth batter: 86 mph changeup, 94, 95, 95 (K looking)
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Damn. It's hard not to get excited looking at a line like that. When are they aiming to call him up?
Mid-July (3 more minor league starts, assume July 5, 10, 15). Would line him up to be activated post-all-star game.
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
7m
Chris Sale's third inning: First batter: 91 mph, 92 mph, 91 mph (infield single) Second batter: 93 mph, 94 mph (RBI double off LF wall) Third batter: 87 mph changeup (groundout to third) Fourth batter: 80 mph slider, 80 mph slider, 96 mph (flyout to right field, 9-2 DP)
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
2m
Chris Sale coming back out for the fourth inning. He's at 35 pitches.
@SmittyOnMLB
7m
Chris Sale's third inning: First batter: 91 mph, 92 mph, 91 mph (infield single) Second batter: 93 mph, 94 mph (RBI double off LF wall) Third batter: 87 mph changeup (groundout to third) Fourth batter: 80 mph slider, 80 mph slider, 96 mph (flyout to right field, 9-2 DP)
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
2m
Chris Sale coming back out for the fourth inning. He's at 35 pitches.
3rd inning dip in velocity to 91-92. That's the sort of thing that requires additional innings to build up strength. I'd want him to be at 75-80 pitches before coming up (52 today, 65 on July 5, 80 on July 10 and maybe he starts @ MFY before ASB or vs. CLE post-ASB). Mid-July is fine with me, so long as he is healthy.
EDIT (better velocity in 4th inning, except first pitch, 52 pitches total - 10/16/9/17):
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
2m
Chris Sale's fourth: First batter: 91, 77 slider, 93, 94, 96 (K swinging) Second batter: 86 changeup. 84 changeup (single to right field 69 mph exit velo) Third batter: 78 slider, 94, 94, 86 changeup (K swinging) Fourth batter: 94, 94, 94, 96, 78 slider, 94 mph K swinging
EDIT (better velocity in 4th inning, except first pitch, 52 pitches total - 10/16/9/17):
Christopher Smith
@SmittyOnMLB
2m
Chris Sale's fourth: First batter: 91, 77 slider, 93, 94, 96 (K swinging) Second batter: 86 changeup. 84 changeup (single to right field 69 mph exit velo) Third batter: 78 slider, 94, 94, 86 changeup (K swinging) Fourth batter: 94, 94, 94, 96, 78 slider, 94 mph K swinging
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At the game. Sale looked really good. The run he gave up was on a misplayed wall ball in left.
Can't really add more than the quoted tweets. The most surprising thing for me was they shut off the pitch clocks when he was on the mound. Apparently the experimental rules don't apply to rehabbing big leaguers.
Can't really add more than the quoted tweets. The most surprising thing for me was they shut off the pitch clocks when he was on the mound. Apparently the experimental rules don't apply to rehabbing big leaguers.
Maybe they were concerned he'd attack the pitch clocks with a knife as he did with throwback jerseys.