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Chris Sale has suffered a setback in his recovery from a fractured rib cage, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Chair Bloom announced. Red Sox left-hander Sale sustained the injury in late February and he was forced to miss the beginning of the season.
Now, two and a half months later, the Red Sox have announced it will take more time before Sale is ready to return to action. "He's had a small, it's a personal medical issue -- it's not orthopedic, it's not COVID-related -- that paused his throwing for a little while," Bloom said, per ESPN.
"It's not baseball-related. He should be back throwing in a matter of days."
Bloom on when Sale might return
After Bloom revealed Sale should be back to throwing in a few days, he was asked if that meant Sale could play sometimes in June.
"I think, roughly speaking, we were hoping to have him back around when he was eligible. I think we're talking a few weeks [later] -- that's to have him back to start a major league game," Bloom answered. The Red Sox miss Sale and they have been struggling offensively a lot this season.
"The record speaks for itself," Bloom said. "We all thought, and still do, that that's going to be a strength and we haven't got there yet. It really has been up and down the lineup. There's a lot of guys that aren't performing as they expect, and we expect." The Red Sox own a 10-18 record - eight wins behind the New York Yankees, who sit at No.
1 in the AL East standing. "That's real. We've dug ourselves a hole, no question," Bloom noted. "We haven't played well. Panic's not going to help. We have to play better. We've put ourselves in that situation. There's a difference in urgency and panic. We have to show more urgency."