The Boston Red Sox will be without their ace to begin the 2020 regular season, as Chris Sale will begin the year on the injured list.
Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke told reporters on Thursday that Sale is about two weeks behind and will not pitch on Opening Day. The left-hander is not battling an injury, but he missed time in spring training with pneumonia and needs to regain his strength.
Roenicke says Sale will be on injured list to start season. Says he’s about 2 weeks behind.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) February 27, 2020
Roenicke says Sale’s season-opening delay is entirely due to his recovery from pneumonia. Says he’s doing great with buildup of his arm now that he’s healthy. Sox want him to get 6 starts this spring before he pitches in regular season.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) February 27, 2020
Sale had some elbow issues last season, but all indications are his arm is healthy heading into 2020. He also dealt with some fatigue in his throwing shoulder down the stretch in 2018, and that led to concerns about his velocity during the postseason.
With David Price having been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the Mookie Betts deal, the Red Sox are already entering the year with some question marks in their starting rotation. Keeping Sale healthy will be one of their top priorities, which is likely why they have no problem giving him more time to get back to 100 percent.
