Sale to make 1st MLB start since 2019 vs. O's on Saturday

Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale will make his first start since 2019 on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles, manager Alex Cora announced, according to the Boston Globe's Alex Speier.

Sale hasn't pitched since Aug. 13, 2019, while he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

The 32-year-old pitched well during his recent rehab starts, striking out 35 hitters in 20 minor-league innings.

Before his injury, Sale was one of baseball's top hurlers. The southpaw owned a 109-73 record with a 3.03 ERA and 2,007 strikeouts in 1,629 2/3 innings across 10 seasons.

He has a 35-23 mark with a 3.08 ERA and 13.2 strikeouts per nine in a Red Sox uniform.

Boston signed Sale to a five-year, $145-million extension in March 2019. The club acquired him in a blockbuster deal involving the Chicago White Sox in 2016.