Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale is on schedule to make his next start on Friday against the Baltimore Orioles, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Sale landed on the COVID-10 injured list last week after testing positive for the virus, but he has been asymptomatic and he has been staying active and working out in order to be ready for his return. The veteran lefty has looked solid over his five starts so far this year. He's gone 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP to go along with a 5.0 K/BB rate.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale has a "good chance" to return during this coming weekend's series against the Baltimore Orioles, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Sale tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday. He has been asymptomatic and doing all that he can to prepare himself while quarantining at home. Fantasy managers should make sure that Sale is rostered and ready to slot into a starting spot when he's back. Over five starts on the year, Sale has gone 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale has tested positive for COVID-19. He becomes the 10th Red Sox player to do so since August 27th, and the 12th to be placed on the COVID list. He will no longer make his scheduled start on Sunday. This is the second time Sale has tested positive, as he previously disclosed that he had experienced a mild case of the virus in January. He will miss a minimum of 10 days. Nick Pivetta may be able to return from the COVID list and slot into Sale's vacated rotation spot, but if he isn't available, Boston may have to resort to a bullpen game. Fantasy managers should hold Sale on their rosters for now.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale only lasted 3 2/3 innings Monday, allowing five runs (one earned) on 10 hits and one walk. He struck out six batters. The Boston defense made three errors in this game, contributing to a high pitch count and abbreviated outing for Sale. Fantasy managers can disregard this outing, and count on excellent production from Sale the rest of the way, as he's posted a 2.52 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 25 innings through four starts.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale delivered a quality start against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out three batters. The only runs came off the bat off Wander Franco, when he knocked a two-run homer in the third inning. Sale has shown little-to-no rust in his first three starts of the season, with a 2.53 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 24 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings. He's poised to offer top-20 starting pitcher fantasy value as a floor the rest of the way, with the potential to make a big impact in the fantasy playoffs.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale once again looked very strong, striking out eight Minnesota Twins in 5 1/3 innings Wednesday. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks, with the only blemish being a two-run home run by Willians Astudillo. Sale also accomplished his third career immaculate inning in the third inning, tying him with Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers to do so that many times. His record improves to 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 21 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings. He appears primed to provide ace numbers the rest of the way for fantasy managers.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale looked like his old self Friday night, throwing five scoreless innings against the Texas Rangers. Sale allowed five hits and one walk while striking out five batters. He now has a 1.80 ERA across his first 10 innings of the season and sports a 2-0 record. Sale has looked every bit the part of the fantasy ace managers expect, and the next step is to go a bit deeper in games. Those who stashed him seem primed to reap the rewards heading into the fantasy playoffs.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale made his first start in 730 days Saturday, and he was very effective in five innings. Sale allowed two runs, both on solo homers, on six hits and no walks. He struck out eight batters. Sale threw 89 pitches, reinforcing the idea that the Red Sox were not going to bring him back until he was fully stretched out. Fantasy managers can expect Sale to make a big impact going forward, with the potential to be a top-20 starter for the remainder of the year.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (elbow) was fantastic during what could be his final rehab outing for Triple-A Worcester. The veteran logged nearly five innings of work against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, allowing two hits while walking three and striking out eight batters. He also threw 89 pitches, his most in 2021, and reached 95 mph toward the end of his night. Sale is closer than ever to a return, and it wouldn't be surprising if he were activated at some point within the next week. If he is available, fantasy managers in all formats need to pick him up immediately before it's too late.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (elbow) is expected to make at least one more rehab start. He tossed five innings of one-run ball on Saturday in Triple-A Worcester. Sale has posted a 1.76 ERA and a 27/2 K/BB ratio in 15 1/3 innings over four starts in the minors. It sounds like Sale is nearing a return from Tommy John surgery. The hope is that Sale can be activated in mid-August, which would be a significant boost for the Red Sox. Fantasy managers should double check and make sure Sale isn't sitting around on the waiver wire.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (elbow) allowed one run on five hits and one walk while striking out seven over five innings of work in his fourth rehab start on Saturday while pitching for Triple-A Worcester. He's been electric during his rehab appearances, allowing just three runs on 15 hits and two walks while striking out 27 over 15 1/3 innings of work. Sale is slated to have at least one more rehab appearance before he'll be ready to return to Boston, and it looks like he should provide a good late-season boost in fantasy.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The AL East-leading Boston Red Sox acquired right-hander Hansel Robles from Minnesota and left-hander Austin Davis from Pittsburgh in a pair of trades Friday. Boston sent infielder-outfielder Michael Chavis to the Pirates and minor league right-hander Alex Scherff to the Twins. Robles made 45 appearances for the Twins this season, going 3-4 with 10 saves and a 4.91 ERA. He has appeared in 358 major league games overall. Davis has made 65 relief appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies (2018-20) and Pirates (2020-21), posting a 5.65 ERA. The left-hander has appeared in 10 games with Pittsburgh and 13 in the minors this year. “Everybody has seen our bullpen has done a great job this year, and we wanted to back that up by getting them reinforcements to make sure we have as many good options as possible down the stretch," Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said. Boston began the day with the third-best AL bullpen ERA at 3.62. Chavis hit .190 with two home... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees' post-All-Star break opener against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday night was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests among vaccinated New York pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Nestor Cortes Jr. and Wandy Peralta. “It’s a fluid situation that could spread. It has spread to some degree," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. “We have three positives and we have three pending that we’ve had rapid tests on. ... We’ll wait now for the lab tests to come back, which I’m assuming is going to be positive, as well. So that would increase our number to six, but we're not at six yet. We're at three confirmed.” Loaisiga went on the COVID-19 injured list Saturday, when the Yankees were in Houston, and he did not travel home with the team Sunday. Cortes and Peralta went on the COVID-19 IL on Thursday. Cashman said all three were fully vaccinated, as are most of the players on the team. Among the three, two received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and the other was... [More]

SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Chris Sale pitched in a game for the first time since Tommy John surgery in March 2020, throwing three scoreless innings Thursday for the FCL Red Sox at the FCL Orioles Orange. The 32-year-old left-hander allowed four hits and struck out five. Sale had surgery on March 30, 2020 — his 31st birthday — with Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Sale has a $30 million salary this year and next, and $27.5 million each in 2023 and 2024 as part of a $160 million, six-year contract that includes $10 million each season deferred for 15 years. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

A look at what’s happening around the majors today: START IT UP The second half begins with one game when Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and the AL East-leading Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez (6-5, 5.52 ERA) starts for Boston, which holds a 1 1/2-game edge over Tampa Bay. New York and Toronto are eight games behind the Red Sox. J.D. Martinez and the Red Sox have wrecked the Yankees lately, going 6-0 against their longtime rivals this season and outscoring them 36-17 in those matchups. The Yankees, who haven’t announced their rotation for this three-game series, face Boston eight times in their first 10 games coming out of the All-Star break. The stretch could decide whether New York is a buyer or seller heading into the July 30 trade deadline. TRADE WINDS The clock is ticking -- two weeks for contenders to make deals before the deadline. Need some home runs? Nelson Cruz keeps connecting at age 41, hitting 18 this year while batting .304 for Minnesota. The Target... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Across the globe, everybody is watching Shohei Ohtani in awe and intrigue. Major League Baseball can only love the attention from around the world surrounding the Angels' two-way star and the spotlight he's brought to the sport. Can Ohtani keep this up? An encore to a sensational first half? He leads the majors with 33 home runs and has shown no signs of slowing down or slumping — and should soon have a healthy Mike Trout back in the lineup with him. Pitchers across the big leagues are doing their part so far, too. There have already been seven no-hitters in the majors this season, matching the mark for most in one year during the modern era. The record of eight was set in 1884, the first season overhand pitching was allowed. Will Jacob deGrom, Walker Buehler and Gerrit Cole join the list soon? And will the uproar over sticky substances tamp down? Manager Torey Lovullo and the Arizona Diamondbacks are eager for a fresh start, determined to forget that record 24-game... [More]

A look at what’s happening around the majors on Thursday: START IT UP The second half begins with one game when Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and the AL East-leading Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium. Left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez (6-5, 5.52 ERA) starts for Boston, which holds a 1 1/2-game edge over Tampa Bay. New York and Toronto are eight games behind the Red Sox. J.D. Martinez and the Red Sox have wrecked the Yankees lately, going 6-0 against their longtime rivals this season and outscoring them 36-17 in those matchups. The Yankees, who haven’t announced their rotation for this three-game series, face Boston eight times in their first 10 games coming out of the All-Star break. The stretch could decide whether New York is a buyer or seller heading into the July 30 trade deadline. TRADE WINDS The clock is ticking -- two weeks for contenders to make deals before the deadline. Need some home runs? Nelson Cruz keeps connecting at age 41, hitting 18 this year while batting .304 for Minnesota.... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Across the globe, everybody is watching Shohei Ohtani in awe and intrigue. Major League Baseball can only love the attention from around the world surrounding the Angels' two-way star and the spotlight he's brought to the sport. Can Ohtani keep this up? An encore to a sensational first half? He leads the majors with 33 home runs and has shown no signs of slowing down or slumping — and should soon have a healthy Mike Trout back in the lineup with him. Pitchers across the big leagues are doing their part so far, too. There have already been seven no-hitters in the majors this season, matching the mark for most in one year during the modern era. The record of eight was set in 1884, the first season overhand pitching was allowed. Will Jacob deGrom, Walker Buehler and Gerrit Cole join the list soon? And will the uproar over sticky substances tamp down? Manager Torey Lovullo and the Arizona Diamondbacks are eager for a fresh start, determined to forget that record 24-game... [More]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Across the globe, everybody is watching Shohei Ohtani in awe and intrigue. Major League Baseball can only love the attention from around the world surrounding the Angels' two-way star and the spotlight he's brought to the sport. Can Ohtani keep this up? An encore to a sensational first half? He leads the majors with 33 home runs and has shown no signs of slowing down or slumping — and should soon have a healthy Mike Trout back in the lineup with him. Pitchers across the big leagues are doing their part so far, too. There have already been seven no-hitters in the majors this season, matching the mark for most in one year during the modern era. The record of eight was set in 1884, the first season overhand pitching was allowed. Will Jacob deGrom, Walker Buehler and Gerrit Cole join the list soon? And will the uproar over sticky substances tamp down? Manager Torey Lovullo and the Arizona Diamondbacks are eager for a fresh start, determined to forget that record 24-game... [More]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale is ready to take the next step in his comeback from Tommy John surgery and throw to hitters on Saturday. Sale threw off the mound with Double-A Portland on Tuesday. “So far, so good,” Boston manager Alex Cora said before the Red Sox played at Tampa Bay. “He’s in a good position. He feels great. I’ll talk to him tomorrow and we’ll keep moving forward.” A seven-time All-Star, Sale was 103-62 with 2.89 ERA in his first nine major league seasons. He joined the Red Sox in 2017 and helped them to the World Series championship the next year. But Sale had the worst year of his career in 2019, posting a 6-11 record with a 4.40 ERA, and then missed last season following March 2020 surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. The operation usually requires a minimum of 12 months of rehab, but can take as much as two years. In his absence during the pandemic-shortened season last year, the Red Sox went 24-36 and finished last in the AL East. Entering Tuesday’s game with Tampa Bay, the Red Sox held a half-game lead over the Rays in the division. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports