​CHICAGO — It had been well over 700 days since Patrick Sandoval last stood on a major league mound, and with his return he did not relish the thought of leaving. Sandoval, who had battled back from Tommy John surgery and its lingering complications, had shut out the Chicago White Sox for the first four innings at U.S. Cellular Field and was just starting to feel comfortable again about competing against big-league hitters.
But the fifth inning began to slip away from him. A leadoff single, a wild pitch, a stolen base and a walk, all clustered around a botched bunt attempt for the first out. When Sandoval saw Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy climbing the dugout steps and moving toward the mound, he understood the visit wasn’t for a friendly chat. No words were exchanged between them, only the ball.
“I got a little too cute with those last two hitters. When I looked back as I was walking off, I felt I had eased up a bit,” Sandoval said later. “I can’t get over that last inning. I wanted to finish the job.” On a day meant for renewal and a strong sense of return, that moment stood out as his enduring regret. Everything else, however, was a bright spot. He struck out five, walked just one and allowed all four singles off him to be relatively harmless grounders through the infield. And, as a side note, there was this: Red Sox 2, White Sox 1.
His fastball sat around 95 mph, and he operated with urgency, delivering a generally crisp performance. All told, it was a satisfying reentry onto the mound.
“Felt good, body feels good,” Sandoval said. “I thought the stuff was pretty good. I’m still knocking off a little bit of rust, but given the circumstances, I thought it was pretty solid.”
In his most recent tune-up in the minor leagues, he logged 68 pitches, and Boston had indicated they wouldn’t let him push much beyond that threshold. Still, at 65 pitches into the fifth inning, Sandoval hoped for a chance to at least complete the frame.
“He wanted to stay,” Tracy confirmed. “It was obvious. He’s a competitor and wants to stay in the game. And if it’s 5-1 and you’re not closing in on a 68-pitch limit, there’s room to do that. But with the number he had reached earlier and with Tyron [Guerrero] ready, we’re going to go there. Still, he was really, really good.”
Sandoval faced an emotional question as well: how Thursday would feel given the long road back from surgery and the countless hours spent in the weight room and on bullpen mounds. He had endured the rehabilitation process hour after hour, chasing health and consistency, and today he was back in the majors, reminding himself that all that work carried him to this point. The moment was more than a line on a box score; it was the culmination of perseverance, a test of resolve, and a hint that more productive days lay ahead for a pitcher who refused to relent.