Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale said he acted "like an idiot," but also defended his actions during an incident in which he was seen having a meltdown after a frustrating minor league injury rehab assignment start with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox in a now-viral video.
The left-hander seemed to suggest that his actions were somewhat acceptable for a professional baseball athlete in the public eye compared to an individual in a different profession.
“If you want me to act like a normal person, you have to treat me like a normal person,” Sale told reporters via TheHill.com. “This isn’t like, a normal atmosphere, you know? If I was at Bank of America, this wouldn’t fly, right? We’re not at the Bank of America. This is sports. This is leverage. This is pressure. I take a lot of pride in what I do.”
After the game, Sale, who is aiming to return from a stress fracture in his right rib cage experienced during a private workout in February while recovering from Tommy John surgery from the previous year, still said he was ready to return to the Sox's rotation.
"I’m very ready," Sale said via FOXSports.com. "I know today was a little bit of a hiccup, but there’s nothing that can’t be ironed out."
Sale was acquired by the Red Sox in a trade with the Chicago White Sox in 2016.
The left-hander was a member of Boston's World Series championship team in 2018 and led the American League in strikeouts during the 2015 and 2017 seasons.
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