Chris Cell Before that, at least one more minor league rehabilitation will begin Boston Red Sox Decide if his ace is ready to join his rotation after being sidelined for the entire season due to a rib injury.
The seven-time All-Star is close to returning, manager Alex Cora said Friday.
Cell were bowled out for four in seven overs for Double-A Portland on Thursday. Cora said his mechanic is doing well in his third rehabilitation and he felt “physically excellent.” The 33-year-old left-handed batsman will play for Triple Worcester on Wednesday.
“We’ll see,” Kora said. “He’s getting close. Let’s talk about it and get out of there.”
Cell, who signed a five-year, $ 145 million contract by 2024, broke his rib cage in spring training. He is 114-74 with a 3.03 ERA and has 321 major league matches with 2,059 strikes. He has made 42 2/3 innings for the Red Sox since the end of the 2019 season.
Returning from Tommy John’s surgery last year, Cell took a 5-1 lead with a 3.16 ERA in nine starts. He missed the 2020 season.
The Red Sox finished second in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays in Friday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. After a 20-9 performance in 1990, they won 20-6 in June for their highest ever victory.
Boston in Toronto closed the month with two out of three drops. Outfielder Jerin Duran and nearby Tanner Hawk did not accompany the team because they had not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Staying away from his colleagues prompted him to reconsider his role, Duran said. He promised that Boston would be available when he returned to Toronto at the end of September. Hawke wouldn’t say that either.
“I just miss the kids and miss playing baseball,” Duran said. “It’s a kind of decisive factor.”
Reported by the Associated Press.
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