Sale (illness) completed his bullpen session without issues Wednesday, but his late start due to pneumonia means he's unlikely to be ready by Opening Day, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Sale didn't exactly need more question marks heading into the season on the back of an injury-filled 2019 campaign. He was considered completely healthy when he showed up to camp, having recovered from the platelet-rich plasma injection he received in August, but the illness led to him getting considerably behind schedule. He's expected to throw a live batting practice session Saturday and then another one next week before jumping into game action. The Red Sox want to be very careful in his buildup this season and will be happy to have him miss a turn or two at the start of the year if it means his odds of staying healthy for the remainder of the season improve.