Every procedure is different of course, as is every player.
But if there's one player who can relate to what Chris Sale is going through as he near the end of his comeback from Tommy John surgery, it's teammate Nathan Eovaldi, who has gone through the ordeal not once but twice.
Eovaldi had his first experience with the surgeon's scalpel while a junior in high school, then had a second one in 2016. He knows the pitfalls, the dashed expectations, the tedious work that must be put in, and of course, the exhilaration that comes from making it back to the mound.
Most pitchers soon come to realize that something -- a bit of arm strength, or durability, or explosiveness -- is missing in their first games back after the surgery. Some, in retrospect, recognize that they weren't back to 100 percent until the season after they first return, when they've had time to have a "normal'' offseason and can resume their regular build-up the following spring training.
Sale will not have that luxury, of course. He's joining a team in the middle of a pennant race, one which desperately needs an upgrade in their starting rotation. The expectations will be sky-high, and that might be too much for most pitchers.
But as Eovaldi noted, few pitchers are Chris Sale.
"I feel like with him, he's so talented and he holds himself to such a high standard, I don't really see him having too much trouble,'' said Eovaldi. "He hasn't any had any control issues down in the minors, either, in his rehab starts. So I think we're going to get the same Sale we've always had -- the electric stuff and just coming right after hitters.''
Some pitchers note that their command -- not their control -- isn't up to snuff right away. While control dictates your ability to throw strikes, command is more about precision within his strike zone. Pitchers fresh off a long rehab may not issue walks, but they may not be able to spot pitches exactly where they wish. And with major league hitters, a pitch that misses its spot by an inch here or there can be hit out of the ballpark rather than popped up.
"My command was there (right away),'' recalled Eovaldi. "You get into that competitive mode, just attacking the hitters. It's about trusting yourself. He's been doing that. He's been punching guys out and the stuff's been good. He's been able to spot his changeup and his slider. With me, in my past experiences, it was all about getting back into a good rhythm, getting your sequences against hitters. I feel like every year, hitters are hitting different pitches and there are adjustments and different combinations. But he'll be able to handle that.''
Sale has had a longer layoff from a major league mound than most who undergo the procedure, in part because when he first experienced pain in his elbow in the second half of the 2019 season, he and the Red Sox decided to undergo some PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections, hoping that would solve the problem. And for a winter and the first half of spring training in 2020, it did. But then Sale suffered a more complete tear of the UCL joint and his elbow, surgery was unavoidable in late March.
That means that when Sale returns this week, it will have been almost exactly two years to the day since he last pitched in a regular season major league game. And no matter how special Sale is, that's a long time away from the mound.
There's a lot to digest in terms of scouting reports and analytics. But again, Eovaldi has the utmost confidence in Sale.
"You have to be able to take the information they give you, and you have to be ready to go out there and attack,'' he said. "That's one of the best things about him. His fastball's elite, his changeup's elite, his slider's elite. He's in a class of his own. He's got the deception. It's just a matter of coming after hitters.''
Beyond the physical aspect of the job, there's the mental part, and Eovaldi knows Sale never lacks for confidence.
"I never had that doubt,'' he said. "I think some guys have issues with, 'Am I going to get hurt again?' I never thought about it. I just focused on trying to keep my mechanics in a good, safe delivery. My mechanics were a little inconsistent (at the start). But to me, I think (Sale's) mechanics look sound. He might be feeling something a little different. He's got that high leg kick, and he's real quick with it and it comes out to the side and then you've got the low arm angle, but all of that looks the same to me.''
Sale has undertaken a change in his diet and adapted to a new sleep schedule. Those changes can only help.
"I'm excited to see him up here,'' Eovaldi said. "If he's 94-96 mph in the minors, it will be fun to see what the lights and bigger crowds might do for his adrenaline. I can't wait.''
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In all likelihood, we'll be debating whether Chaim Bloom and Co. did enough at the trade deadline to help the Red Sox over the final two months. If the Sox end up winning the division and have a deep October run, what Bloom did will be praised, in addition to holding on to the team's prospect nucleus. If the Sox drop to a wild card -- or miss the postseason altogether -- and bow out early, the judgment will be he wasn't nearly as aggressive as he should have been.
There are a few ways to see Bloom's cautionary approach. Maybe the asking prices for an impact pitcher or natural first baseman were just too exorbitant. Maybe Bloom didn't feel that he's had enough time to sufficiently build up his minor league inventory, and the team lacked the necessary depth to deal. In another year, by next July he may feel differently.
Or maybe, as some conspiracy theorists have suggested, Bloom (or, by extension, ownership) wasn't confident enough in his major league roster to sink additional investments into it. (That last one strikes me as highly unlikely, since it's nearly impossible to play at better than a .600 pace for four months and not present yourself as a legitimate postseason contender. But for the sake of argument, I'll allow it into the discussion).
But then consider this bit of sobering study: Baseball America recently conducted a research project, in which it examined all the prospects that had been dealt at the trade deadline between 2001 and 2016 -- more than 600 in total.
They found that only 20 percent went on to have major league careers. And the number that became stars, of course, was below that.
It's worth noting that of the big-name prospects dealt by the Red Sox, the biggest names and those whom the Sox might like to have back, came in the off-season: Manuel Margot (an offseason deal for Craig Kimbrel); Michael Kopech and Yoan Moncada (for Chris Sale); and one Anthony Rizzo (dealt for Adrian Gonzalez).
That's further fuel for those who believe Bloom was too conservative in his approach last month.
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Meanwhile, every one of the Sox' top four affiliates -- Triple-A Worcester, Double-A Portland, High-A Greenville and Low-A Salem -- sported a winning record.
There are those who suggest player development is a far more important measuring goal in the minor leagues and that won-loss records are relatively unimportant. This is particularly true, perhaps, at Triple-A where some teams might stash more veteran players of the 4A variety -- those who have some big league experience -- and serve more as depth for the parent club, rather than a Triple-A roster full of almost-there prospects.
Still, there's little argument that having players in a winning environment is a positive part of the developmental process. And that's especially true at the lower levels, where talented rosters are a byproduct of quality prospects, first and foremost. You don't horde 28-year-old players with some major league experience at your High A affiliate. So if your High A team is successful in the standings, it's because that team is full of promising players.
The good news: taking the Top 4 affiliates into account, the Red Sox have the third-best won-loss percentage (.565) of any organization in the game as of Friday afternoon.
The bad news: the top two spots belong to Tampa Bay (.661) and the Yankees (.655) -- the two teams the Sox must contend with the most, now and in the future.
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It's fair to ask why Yairo Munoz isn't more on the Red Sox radar, especially in light of the manpower issues with the parent club.
With Marwin Gonzalez only recently health again and both Danny Santana and Christian Arroyo still on rehab assignments as they recover from groin pulls, the Red Sox' depth and versatility have both taken a hit.
Couldn't Munoz have contributed over the last few weeks in Boston? He hardly looked out of place (.844 OPS in 12 games) in the final month of so of 2020, and even before coming to the Red Sox organization, had some success with the Cardinals at the big league level.
For now, the biggest obstacle is that Munoz was outrighted over the winter and isn't currently on the 40-man roster. Getting him back on, with no open spots, would require designating someone else for assignment. It's a testament to Bloom that the roster is no longer full of placeholders, but surely, there could be a procedural move to make (such as shifting Bryan Mata, recovering from Tommy John surgery, to the 60-day IL).
Munoz has certainly earned his consideration. As of Saturday, Munoz had a 28-game hitting streak for Worcester, establishing a franchise record at Triple A. During the streak, Munoz has hit .383 with a .944 OPS while striking out just seven times. That last part should get the Sox' attention, since much of the current roster has had difficulty making contact and putting the ball in play.
As far as utility, Munoz can play all three outfield spots and has played third, short and second base in the big leagues. (In fact, he's played every position but catcher, and, wouldn't you know it, first base in the big leagues).
"He's doing a good job,'' acknowledged Alex Cora. "One thing about Yairo, he brings energy on a daily basis. And he has that bat-to-ball skill regardless of where the ball is -- it can be way up there or way down there and he'll find a barrel. We're very pleased with what he's doing, not only because of the results but doing the things he's supposed to -- playing hard and doing the things that winning players do. I saw him from afar last year and what he did here last year, as far as running the bases, being versatile and finding ways to get on base, it was interesting.
"Obviously, we pay attention to everything that's going on. We're very pleased with the way he's going about it. I'm not saying he's on the radar or he's not. But we're aware of what's going on with him. Every report we get is a positive one.''
It would seem that, roster issue aside, Munoz would be more useful to the Sox than Jonathan Arauz is.
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If you missed it, MLB released its 2022 schedule a few days back.
It has the Red Sox opening with Tampa on March 31. A week later, they'll serve as the Yankees' opponents for New York's home opener with a series beginning April 7.
The Yankees, as happened this year, don't come to Fenway until well into the season, with the first visit taking place July 15-17, the last series before the All-Star break. (The All-Star Game, to be held at Dodger Stadium, is, for whatever reason, a week later on the schedule than normal).
As for interleague opponents, the Sox will square off with teams from the NL Central, That means visits to the Chicago Cubs (July 1-3), Pittsburgh (Aug. 16-18) and visits from St. Louis (June 17-19) and Milwaukee (July 29-31). Meanwhile, the Sox will home-and-home series of two games each with both Cincinnati and Atlanta.
The Sox will play six of their final nine games of the 2022 season away from home, finishing the schedule with three games in Toronto.