McAdam: Red Sox still waiting on Chris Sale's follow-up visit with Dr. James Andrews

When Chris Sale was examined by Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. in mid-August, he was given a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection for his ailing left elbow, instructed to refrain from throwing for the time being and told to return in six weeks.

That was better than nine weeks ago.

Sale has yet to return for his follow-up with Andrews, but according to a baseball source, that's not an indication that the pitcher has suffered a setback, or, for that matter, any indication that the initial diagnosis that avoiding Tommy John surgery has changed.

Some background:

When Sale initially felt some soreness in the forearm and elbow, the Red Sox remained wild-card playoff contenders. Longshot contenders, to be sure, but contenders nonetheless.



Sale was initially hopeful that a visit with Andrews in late September would result in him getting the green light to resume throwing with an eye toward making himself available to pitch again at some point in the postseason.

As September unfolded and the Red Sox fell further out of contention and were subsequently eliminated, it became clear that there would be no need for Sale to hurry back, as there would be no October games in which he could pitch.

Similarly, the need to visit Andrews in late September was also scrapped. With no deadline to meet and the start of the 2020 season still months away, additional time to rest and to allow the PRP injections to work became the new point of emphasis.

Sale is now, according to a baseball source, expected to visit with Andrews during the second week of November. The expectation is he'll be given the go-ahead to resume throwing and begin his normal offseason program soon after.

Sale is currently rehabbing and undergoing treatment at the team's spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla., not far from his offseason home in Naples.

It's not hard to discern the mystery that has surrounded his rehab. Sale is known to be highly guarded about sharing details about any injuries he's incurred. In 2018, when he missed most of the final two months with shoulder inflammation, Red Sox officials repeatedly invoked HIPPA laws in explaining why they could not provide additional details on the pitcher's condition.

Similarly, when Sale was briefly hospitalized during the 2018 ALCS -- reportedly from intestinal woes linked to anti-inflammatory medication -- he half-jokingly announced that the problem had been an infection stemming from a pierced navel.

Later, multiple Red Sox officials confirmed that Sale had instructed Red Sox personnel to not provide any specific details about either the shoulder inflammation or the stomach ailment.