FORT MYERS, Fla. — Saturday marked an important and somewhat emotional step in Chris Sale’s latest comeback bid.

With his wife and three sons looking on, Sale, who was limited to just two starts last season due to three separate injuries, faced hitters for the first time since July 17. In a live batting practice session on a back field at Fenway South, Sale faced live competition for the first time since an Aaron Hicks comebacker broke his left pinkie in his second start of the season right before the All-Star break. Sale threw one simulated inning, facing teammates Alex Verdugo and Triston Casas as well as a selection of minor leaguers. He came away from it with no physical issues.

“For me, it was a big deal,” Sale said. “I know that this kind of stuff happens every day but I’m just more appreciative of opportunities. The last time I faced a hitter, it wasn’t fun. So it was a lot of fun. Today was a big day for me just because it’s one more step in the right direction.”

Sale snapped a rib throwing a pitch in a private bullpen session last February, then returned to the mound for a five-inning start against the Rays on July 12. Five days later, in the first inning of his second outing, Hicks’ comebacker hit his hand so hard that surgery was required. Sale broke his right wrist in an August bike accident that ended his season.

Those injuries and the Tommy John surgery Sale had in March 2020 have limited him to just 48⅓ innings over the past three seasons. He entered camp a full-go and is progressing with the expectation he’ll be ready to go by Opening Day.

On Saturday, Sale got Verdugo and Casas to roll over pitches before minor leaguers Nick Yorke, Chase Meidroth and Daniel Palka stepped to the plate. In total, he threw 23 pitches and avoided hard contact. Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez loudly cheered Sale on from behind first base. His family watched and clapped in the third base dugout. A large group of Red Sox officials and fans gathered behind the backstop.

Sale said he struggled with command against one hitter but generally felt good on the mound. He was happy he finished strong. While he’s unsure of his velocity at this early stage of camp, he was particularly pleased with fastball command. He thought all of his pitches were working.

“I’m really happy with the shape of my breaking ball,” Sale said. “It’s just more so consistency, just sharpening the axe. The more times I throw, the more consistent I’ll get, the more times I’ll be able to execute that consecutively. That’s really all I’m working on now, just repetitions, consistency and just staying on top of things I’ve got to stay on top of.”

RED SOX MANAGER Alex Cora has been pleased with his team’s energy and professionalism since pitchers and catchers first started rolling into camp early last week. On Friday, he identified the thing that has impressed him most since camp opened.

“Kiké (Hernández) at short,” Cora said. “He’s really good defensively. His range, the arm, the instincts, he’s a good one.”

Hernández is shifting from center field to shortstop with Xander Bogaerts in San Diego and Trevor Story out for a significant chunk of the season after undergoing elbow surgery in January. He will form a new-look middle infield with Christian Arroyo; newcomer Adalberto Mondesí will be in the mix once he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered last April. Hernández, who has played virtually everywhere on the field in nine major league seasons, has never logged more than 24 appearances at shortstop in a season (and only 18 games there in two years in Boston). The Red Sox believe he’s fully capable of taking over that position and are handing over the keys to him, at least until Story returns at some point.

Asked about which prospects have caught his eye in camp, Cora once again brought up Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu, who were acquired in the Christian Vázquez trade with Houston at last year’s trade deadline.

“Valdez and Abreu offensively, they get it,” Cora said. “They control the strike zone and they do damage in the strike zone. They’re really good offensively. Abreu, all-around player, good defensively, too. With Valdez, we’ve got to work with him at the other positions but at second, we think he can do the job.”

RED SOX 6, BRAVES 6: Bobby Dalbec hit a double and a two-run home run as Boston and Atlanta played to a tie in a game with a bizarre ending due to MLB’s new rules, in North Port, Florida.

Cal Conley of the Atlanta Braves thought he had just won the game with a two-out, bases-loaded walk-off walk. He took a few steps toward first base, bat still in hand, when umpire John Libka jumped out from behind the plate and indicated strike three.

Game over. Conley couldn’t believe it. Neither could his teammates. Fans booed.

Welcome to 2023, where baseball’s new rules designed to improve pace of play are coming fast at everyone, particularly the players.

The most dramatic moment of the new pitch clock era arrived on the first full day of spring games, and in the most dramatic scenario possible. Conley, facing reliever Robert Kwiatkowski of the Boston Red Sox, wasn’t set in the box as the clock wound under eight seconds.

The penalty is an automatic strike, which led to the game at North Port, Florida, finishing in a 6-6 tie. Kwiatkowski got the strikeout after throwing only two real strikes.

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