Red Sox Starter Hits Milestone in Post-Tommy John Return

FORT MYERS, Florida – It had been 602 days since Patrick Sandoval stepped onto the mound against batters.

The southpaw put an end to his run of disappointment on Friday by stepping onto the field at JetBlue Park and throwing his first live batting practice since undergoing Tommy John surgery.

"It's been ages," he said.

The Red Sox inked the left-handed pitcher, who is now 29, to a two-year, $18.25 million deal that pays more in the second year, fourteen months ago, with the assumption that he would miss a substantial part of the first season. Sandoval believed he would be able to play a role in the second half of 2025, and was "pretty close" to being prepared to face real batters before arm fatigue ended his progress.

I believe it was the correct decision," Sandoval stated, although he acknowledged, "This recovery journey has humbled me greatly.

He started increasing his activity again in November and arrived at the Red Sox spring training facility a month ago. At that point, he had already completed multiple bullpen sessions.

This offseason, the pitching rotation has changed, offering greater depth and more seasoned players compared to last year. Left-handed pitchers Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suarez, along with right-handers Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello, are anticipated to occupy four out of five starting positions. Sandoval is vying with multiple pitchers for the remaining spot, and he knows there's a possibility he might be assigned to the bullpen instead.

I don't have a specific role here, and I'm willing to compete for a position, that's the purpose of this," Sandoval said. "Especially with the players we've brought in and the environment we have. It's the top coaching staff in the league, and I'm proud to be part of it and proud to compete for a spot."

I'm a Red Sox fan, so I'll do whatever they ask me to do," he continued, although he mentioned that working in relief "would definitely be a change.

For the time being, Sandoval is enjoying the significance of Friday's achievement and is eager to discover how he will feel the following day.

"All offseason, I had to answer questions from friends and family, 'Are you going to be healthy? Are you going to come back?'” Sandoval said. “I don't know. I won't know until I face a batter, and then I won't know until the next day. … I'd be really happy to wake up sore, honestly. It would be nice to feel that again.”

Sandoval also expressed appreciation for the teammates who came to support him as he moved forward.

I truly didn't anticipate so many men being present to see that," Sandoval remarked, "and the response I received afterward was great. It was really great.

It's become an annual spring training tradition for Alex Cora to highlight one or two players who are quietly making an impression on him. When asked to do so on Friday, the Red Sox manager initially said it was too early in camp. After all, the first full-squad practice isn't until Monday.

But then he reconsidered.

What Sandoval accomplished today is remarkable. It's great to witness," Cora remarked. "For him to be in that position, that grabbed my attention.