BOSTON — Not only did Chris Sale’s now-famous outburst not bother Alex Cora, the Boston Red Sox manager liked it.
After battling control issues during his rehab start in Worcester on Wednesday, Sale took his frustration out on an already-broken television in the walkway between the Polar Park dugout and clubhouse.
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale pitches for the Portland Sea Dogs last week against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald
Cora joked it would help him get ready for when he gets upset in Boston.
“Great. If you’re going to rehab, do it the right way,” Cora said Thursday. “He’s going to get upset here, too.”
Cora said Sale’s internal fire is part of what fuels him.
“That’s who he is. You don’t want him to get hurt, but he cares. He was off mechanically yesterday. He spoke to (Worcester pitching coach Paul Abbott) about it,” Cora said. “He’s not the only guy to have done that. It’s the world we live in. He paid for the TV. … He’s embarrassed because it’s out there, but it’s the fight. It’s the desire to be great. That’s what makes you great.”
Sale planned to pay for the TV.
“The TV was already broken,” Cora said. “The player that broke it, that actually did the damage, he got off the hook.”
CORA SAID that Sale will make his next start on Tuesday. He didn’t specify definitively where, but indicated that it will come with the Red Sox, who will be at Tropicana Field against the Rays.
“There’s a good chance he’ll pitch with us,” Cora said.
Sale returned to Fenway Park on Thursday and threw a bullpen of around 15-20 pitches of all fastballs; the lefty said he was working on his direction a night after he lost his command in Worcester.
“I can tell you, I’ve never in my life thrown a Day 1 bullpen, and I did it today,” Sale said.” So knock on wood, my arm, I feel like it’s as strong as it could be. …
“I wasn’t expecting to do it today. But my arm feels whippy today. It felt good. If it feels good, I’m gonna use it. My next start is going to be … it doesn’t matter where my next start is actually, I’ve gotta be more sharp than I was last time out. That comes with reps. I just need more reps, get it done this week.”
Sale said that Wednesday’s outing — in which he threw just 42 of his 72 pitches for strikes — should benefit him in the long run.
“It’s obviously a thorn in the side, but working in traffic, right?” Sale said. “Having to work without your best command. Sometimes you’re not gonna have your best stuff. These are all things you’re just gonna have to deal with. And like I said, in hindsight, it’s almost better that that happened, that I had some high-leverage innings, runners on base, a lot of traffic, and not working with my best of the best.
“It’s a character-building start. You roll with it and try to be better from it.”
MICHAEL WACHA didn’t respond well to a bullpen he threw on Wednesday and is unlikely to make Friday’s start against the Yankees as he deals with a tired arm. Cora said they’re considering placing him on the injured list.
“He hasn’t been able to bounce back from bullpens or playing catch,” Cora said. “Nothing structural. We actually tested him. He had an MRI and all that, and everything looks clean. Right now, just hasn’t been able to bounce back.”
Without Wacha, the Red Sox’s rotation — which is without Nathan Eovaldi and Rich Hill, who are both on the injured list — is in flux. Friday and Saturday’s starters are to be determined — Connor Seabold and Kutter Crawford seem to be in the mix to pitch significant innings — before Nick Pivetta takes Sunday’s start. Brayan Bello, who made his MLB debut in Wednesday’s loss to the Rays, will stay with the big-league club and likely start Monday’s game at the Rays.
Cora wasn’t concerned with the rookie facing the same lineup for the first two starts of his career.
“That’s the way the schedule works,” Cora said. “Somebody has to do it. It’s him. I think, yesterday, if you look at the whole thing, the changeup wasn’t great but the sinker was good. Two groundballs up the middle that went through and a pitch up in the zone that (Randy) Arozarena hit, but that was it. He showed composure. The stuff is there. At one point in his career, he’s going to have to do that. He’ll be ready for that one.”
The Red Sox’s rotation is depleted, and they’re using a collection of Triple-A arms. That’s coming at a bad time, right in the middle of a tough stretch in which they’re playing no one but divisional teams. But Cora isn’t making excuses.
“From my end, we’ve got to keep rolling,” Cora said. “We have some kids that have to step up. It’s part of the equation. Last year, I don’t want to say we got lucky, but you don’t see that often, right? They stay healthy throughout the season? We just have to keep maneuvering and jabbing and moving around and trying to win games somehow, some way. Keep advancing and moving on. No one’s going to feel sorry for us.”
GARRETT WHITLOCK (hip) is scheduled to pitch in Worcester on Friday, one or two innings. Kiké Hernandez (hip) will start a rehab assignment Friday in Worcester. Nathan Eovaldi (back) is slated to pitch three innings in Worcester on Sunday.
Cora isn’t sure yet if Eovaldi will only need one rehab outing before his return.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Cora said. “He’s been throwing. He’s been sound. It’s not an arm injury, but at the same time, you have to play the long game.”
RELIEVER TYLER Danish was placed on the injured list with a right forearm strain. The Red Sox called up Triple-A pitcher Michael Feliz, who filled a 40-man roster spot that was empty after Hansel Robles was designated for assignment. …
Also, Rafael Devers returned Thursday after missing two games with a sore hamstring and back. Yankees star Aaron Judge was out of Thursday’s lineup with lower body soreness.
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