Chris Sale showing 1 very encouraging sign in his recovery

Oct 8, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in game two of the 2021 ALDS at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Sale has only made nine appearances in the last three seasons, but he may still have plenty left to offer once he returns to the mound.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the Boston Red Sox were encouraged by the live batting practice session that Sale threw Monday in Fort Myers. Cotillo adds that Sale’s fastball hit 96 miles per hour.

That is a very promising sign for Sale, who missed almost all of the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery and has not pitched this year either due to a right rib stress fracture. According to Fangraphs, Sale has an average fastball velocity of 94.6 mph for his career and has not had a single season above a 94 mph average since 2018, pre-Tommy John.

Sale, 33, is making $30 million in 2022 and is still owed another $75 million through 2025. Hopefully he can justify that steep cost into his mid-30s, beyond just the off-field publicity.