Pitching coach Dave Bush said Wednesday that Sale (elbow) won't be activated from the 60-day injured list until he's stretched out to throw 5-6 innings, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.
The Red Sox may have considered bringing Sale back after just one or two rehab outings and initially utilize him in shorter appearances, but it sounds like that won't be the case. With that in mind, Sale will likely need three or four starts in the minors before he's ready to return to the Boston rotation, meaning that he's unlikely to be activated until early August. Sale is expected to throw two more innings in a simulated game Saturday before beginning his rehab assignment.