Sandoval (biceps) allowed one hit and one walk while striking out seven over five scoreless innings in a rehab start for Double-A Portland on Saturday.
Sandoval pushed his pitch count up to 68 (43 strikes) in what was his sixth and final start in the minors since he resumed a rehab assignment June 5. The veteran southpaw was generally sharp during the assignment, posting a 1.96 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB across 18.1 innings. With his 30-day rehab window coming to a close, Sandoval is expected to return from the 60-day injured list to slot into the Red Sox rotation Thursday against the White Sox in Chicago or Friday against the Mets in New York. He'll be making his first appearance in the majors since June 2024, after he underwent internal brace surgery later that summer and experienced other injury complications in the ensuing two years.