Boston Red Sox: Time for concern with Chris Sale?
By David Hill
Every pitcher has a bad game over the course of the season. For Boston Red Sox starter Chris Sale, his came on Opening Day.
Normally, one bad start, even if it comes on Opening Day, is not a cause for concern. That is especially true with a pitcher who has the credentials of Boston Red Sox starter Chris Sale. He has established himself as one of the best pitchers in the game, a perennial All Star and Cy Young candidate, one of the few true aces in baseball today.
He lived up to that stature last season, until shoulder woes popped up and derailed his second half. Sale only made five starts after the end of July, throwing a combined 17 innings in those outings. Although he was back in time for the postseason, he did not have the same velocity that he had prior to his injury.
During Spring Training, the Red Sox went easy on Sale. He only pitched nine innings, striking out 13 batters while issuing just four hits and a walk. It was easy to think that Sale was back, ready to dominate the league again now that he had an offseason of rest for his troublesome shoulder.
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Then came his outing on Thursday. Sale once again showed diminished velocity, with his fastball averaging just 92.4 MPH. While he had an excellent first inning, Sale was unable to locate his pitches afterwards, getting pummelled for seven runs on six hits and two walks over three innings. He allowed three homers in the game, as the Mariners simply were not fooled by his offerings.
During the broadcast, it was noted that Sale was basically still on his Spring Training schedule, that he may not be back to himself until May. That leaves the hope that he is actually healthy, and will be ready to dominate once he works his way into shape.
For now, that indicates that the Red Sox are not concerned with Sale’s velocity issues or his lack of command. The expectation is that both will improve as the weather gets warmer, and he is perfectly healthy. However, if Sale has any other issues and continues to struggle, those rumblings might get louder.
Right now, the Boston Red Sox should not be worried about Chris Sale. However, if he continues to struggle with his command and diminished velocity in his next couple of starts, it may be time to press that button.