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After two years off, Red Sox P glad to be thrown back into fire in rehab start
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- After two years off, Red Sox P glad to be thrown back into fire in rehab start
WORCESTER — It wasn’t what Patrick Sandoval wanted while it was happening, but after his first game against a real opponent in almost two years, being forced to pitch with traffic on the bases felt valuable.
Wednesday’s Triple A game for the Worcester Red Sox against the Columbus Clippers was Sandoval’s first action since June 21, 2024 when he suffered an ulnar collateral ligament injury while pitching for the Angels.
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He signed a two-year, $18.25 million contract with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent before the 2025 season with a plan to rehab for a year and then return in 2026.
Wednesday was the next step. His first rehab start was supposed to come on Sunday in New Jersey with Double A Portland, but that game was rained out. He threw a bullpen instead and pushed game action to Wednesday at Polar Park.
His first inning featured two errors, including a throwing error by Sandoval, a defensive misplay that was ruled a hit, a walk and two hits.
All of which threw him right back into the fire.
“That’s why I threw a ball into right field. I wanted some traffic,” he joked. “You don’t realize how quick the game goes when you’ve been away for two years. I’m honestly glad it happened so it hopefully won’t happen again.”
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“I’ve been throwing in Fort Myers in controlled conditions. Being out there today and letting all hell break loose was different,” he said. “It was good to be out there, a refresher on how fun baseball is.”
Sandoval threw 63 pitches, 35 for strikes in 3⅓ innings. While he didn’t feel sharp, he was happy with the game as a step.
"I’m happy I got into the fourth and got an out in the fourth," he said. “I like the way I pitched even with the stuff not being there and not being in the zone all that much. ... Even when they hit the ball, it wasn’t necessarily hard contact. There was a lot of soft contact. There’s a lot I can take away from that.”
His next game will likely be next week in Nashville. But his next steps will come in each of the next two mornings.
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“Just hoping to wake up the next two days and feel good and hopefully go about my process,” he said. “The next one I think will be in Nashville in six days. Just preparing for that.”
He said he’s not letting himself think about reaching the majors yet.
“I’m trying to not look too far ahead. This rehab journey, there’s been a lot of bumps in the road, has humbled me a lot. It’s keeping my head down and hoping I feel good the next day,” he said. “When and if the day comes that I get to pitch in Fenway or for the Red Sox, I’m very excited for that moment. Right now, I’m just focusing on the next one.”
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