John Tomase reacts to Chris Sale’s 2022 debut with the Red Sox and discusses whether or not he thinks he can sustain his hot start back throughout the rest of the season.
Chris Sale made his much-anticipated return to the big-league mound Tuesday in Tampa Bay, and he didn't disappoint.
The Boston Red Sox southpaw made his first MLB start since the 2021 postseason. He missed the first few months of the 2022 campaign due to a stress fracture in his right rib cage, followed by a non-baseball medical issue that delayed his return date.
Sale showed why manager Alex Cora has been hyping up his return in recent weeks. He averaged 95 mph with his fastball and boasted his vintage slider throughout the night.
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SIGN UP HERE The 33-year-old pitched five scoreless innings while allowing only three hits, striking out five Rays hitters and walking one. He threw 78 pitches in total, 53 for strikes.
One thing Sale will look to improve on next time he takes the mound is getting swings and misses. He forced only four swings and misses in Tuesday's outing, tied for the second-fewest swings and misses in any outing of 50+ pitches in his career, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.
All in all, an encouraging season debut for the veteran ace. If this is the version of Sale the Red Sox will have going forward, they should feel confident in what the rotation will look like at full strength after the All-Star break.
