Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale throws during spring training baseball camp last week in Sarasota, Fla. Associated Press/John Bazemore
FORT MYERS, Florida — Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale will start the season on the injured list, interim manager Ron Roenicke announced Thursday morning at JetBlue Park.
“With the sickness it cost him two weeks time and that two weeks is what we’d like to give him to make sure that he’s right,” Roenicke said. “He’s worked hard on getting his arm right and we didn’t think four starts in spring training was fair to him. So he’ll open up on the (15-day injured list).”
Sale’s start to spring training was delayed two weeks by a bout with pneumonia. Roenicke said the plan calls for the Sox to takes advantage of the rule that allows clubs to place a player on the IL three days retroactively. That makes April 7 vs. the Rays at Fenway Park the first day that the Sox could activate Sale.
“Nothing at all with the arm, he’s doing really good with that,” Roenicke said. “We’re really happy with that. This is strictly for missing two weeks and only being able to get four starts in spring training.”
Sale is on schedule to throw live batting practice Saturday, said Roenicke, who wants his starters to make six starts before pitching in a game in the regular season. If Sale stays on schedule, he would make four starts in exhibition games, a fifth at extended spring training and a sixth either in a camp game or possibly a minor-league game.
Sale signed a five-year, $145 million contract with the Red Sox at the beginning of last season and went 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA. He was limited to 25 starts by elbow troubles and made his last start Aug. 13.
“It was a gut punch,” Sale said. “When we were in that meeting, I told them the only thing that hurts is my ego, and that doesn’t matter. How can you argue with them just trying to take care of me and do what’s best, not for myself, but for the team moving forward? They had great points and I didn’t. I respect that. I respect everybody in that room and the decisions that are made.”
This is Sale’s third trip to the injured list with the Red Sox. Shoulder inflammation sent him there Aug. 15, 2018, and elbow inflammation landed him there Aug. 17 2019.
RAFAEL DEVERS, who missed the beginning of spring training camp because of the birth of his second daughter, is expected to play in his first spring training game Friday when the Red Sox travel across town to face the Twins.
“And then we’ll go every other day for a bit,” Roenicke said.
Devers, 23, emerged as one of the game’s top hitters in 2019, batting .311 with a .361 on-base percentage, .555 slugging percentage, .916 OPS, 32 homers, 54 doubles, four triples and 115 RBI. His 54 doubles led the American League.
A TRADE between the Red Sox and Padres, sending Wil Myers and prospects to Boston is considered unlikely, the Boston Globe reported.
San Diego and Boston have discussed multiple scenarios in which the Sox take on Myers (and a substantial portion of the $61 million remaining on his contract) and acquire a young prospect or two from San Diego in a creative trade. Using that framework, the Sox would essentially buy young talent by providing salary relief for the Padres, who are looking to cut payroll and redistribute it as they look to contend in the coming years.
Boston reportedly had interest in pitcher Cal Quantrill, catcher Luis Campusano and shortstop Gabriel Arias in talks with San Diego.
DAVID ORTIZ is selling tons of memorabilia from his baseball career at an estate sale scheduled for Saturday at his home in the affluent Boston suburb of Weston. But he is also selling other odds and sundry, including a neon Rolls Royce sign, a backyard composter and a stone owl sculpture.
The baseball-related items for sale include framed jerseys; David Ortiz bobbleheads; Big Papi commemorative Coca-Cola bottles; signed Red Sox photographs; and a Boston Bruins jersey with the name Ortiz and his No. 34 on the back.
The three-time World Series champion and his wife put the six-bedroom, 8,100-square-foot home on the market last year for $6.3 million, but it is not currently listed.
THURSDAY’S GAME: Scott Kingery had three RBI, including a two-run homer, and Alec Bohm added two RBI as Philadelphia beat Boston 12-5 at Fort Myers, Florida.
The 23-year-old Bohm, picked No. 3 overall in 2018, is 5 for 10.
Jonathan Arauz, a 21-year-old shortstop, hit a three-run homer for Boston and 20-year-old prospect Bryan Mata allowed two hits and walked one with two strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
Jeter Downs, acquired in the deal that sent Mookie Betts to the Dodgers, went 0 for 1 and is hitless with three strikeouts in seven at-bats.
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