Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sale (elbow) looked "really good" while throwing a live batting-practice session Wednesday, Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald reports.
Sale faced hitters for the second time in less than a week, and based on Cora's observations, the veteran southpaw was sharper Wednesday than he was over the weekend. Per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, Cora said the most "eye-opening" aspect of Sale's throwing session was his improved command, an area pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery often struggle to regain in their initial throwing sessions. Sale, who sported a fastball that sat around 94 to 95 miles per hour, is scheduled to throw another live batting practice next week in Florida before the Red Sox send him out on a rehab assignment. He'll likely make four or five rehab outings before returning from the 60-day injured list, with a late-July or early August season debut looking like a real possibility for the 32-year-old.