How Sale fared in rehab start for Double-A Portland originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
A sold-out crowd in Portland was treated to a vintage performance from Chris Sale on Tuesday night.
The Boston Red Sox ace took the mound for a rehab start with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs and dominated. In 3 2/3 scoreless innings of work, Sale struck out six Harrisburg Senators hitters, walked one, and didn’t allow a hit. He finished with 49 pitches thrown, 34 for strikes.
Sale topped out at 98 mph with his fastball and added his usual filthy slider to the mix. His secondary pitches showed significant improvement from his first rehab start with the FCL Red Sox.
Overall, another incredibly encouraging day for the left-hander in his return from Tommy John surgery.
As for when Sale will finally return to the big-league club, that remains to be seen. If Tuesday’s start was any indication, it could sooner rather than later.