The Boston Red Sox invested lots of resources in bringing ace Chris Sale before the 2017 season in order to boost the rotation of a contending team back then.
Boston gave up prized pitching prospect Michael Kopech and infielder Yoan Moncada, plus two additional minor-leaguers, in exchange for the southpaw.
Sale gave the Red Sox excellent seasons in 2017 (2.90 ERA, 308 strikeouts) and 2018 (2.11 ERA, 237 punchouts) and even got the last out in the World Series win against the Dodgers that year.
In 2019, he started having health issues and finished with a 4.40 ERA.
He started preparing for the 2020 season, but his elbow woes got to the point that the team announced he would undergo Tommy John surgery.
#RedSox just announced Chris Sale will undergo Tommy John surgery.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 19, 2020
Now that the 2021 season is already in spring training mode, fans have been wondering when exactly they will see Chris Sale back in 2021.
Chris Sale’s Prognosis And Potential Return Date
Sale had his Tommy John surgery in March 2020, roughly eleven months ago.
Typically, doctors say that, for pitchers, the usual return date to target is between 12 and 15 months of the date of the surgery.
Here is what Baseball Reference says about the usual prognosis of the procedure:
“The chances of a complete recovery after the modern surgery are estimated at 85 to 90 percent. Rehabilitation takes around 12 to 15 months for pitchers and about 6 months for position players.”
Right now, Sale is on track to return in the first half of the season despite a minor bump in the road in his recovery late last year.
Sale experienced “a setback around the holidays due to neck stiffness” and also a bout of COVID-19.
Red Sox ace Chris Sale back on track with Tommy John rehab after recent setbacks https://t.co/fnA0eNupgA
— Boston Herald (@bostonherald) February 18, 2021
That’s thankfully in the past now, and Boston is considering Sale to rejoin the rotation in late May or early June.
In fact, early June seems like a realistic time given that the Red Sox placed the left-hander on the 60-day injured list on February 18th to open up a roster spot.
The Red Sox’s Plans For Sale
Boston isn’t expected to contend this season, although things could potentially be different had they had Sale from the start of the season.
If they fall in an early hole, they could afford to give Sale an additional rehab start or two just to make sure he is all systems go.
It’s important to remember that Sale is under contract with the Red Sox until after the 2024 season (with a vesting option for 2025), so preserving his long-term health is more important than a couple of extra starts he may make in 2021.
Sale is very much in Boston’s plans for the foreseeable future, and they hope he can make a complete recovery from his surgery and return to the level he showed for years.
For his career, the lefty has a 3.03 ERA in 1629.2 innings, with 11.08 strikeouts per nine inning pitched and has been one of the greatest pitchers of his generation.
In fact, one could argue that Sale is well on his way to eventually be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame if he can return from his surgery in top form.
He will turn 32 when the 2021 season is underway.
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