Chris Sale made major dietary changes during Tommy John rehabilitation

Chris Sale is poised for an imminent return to the Boston Red Sox rotation after a long road of recovery and rehabilitation following Tommy John surgery in March 2020. During the year-plus since going under the knife, Sale made the decision to take drastic action when it comes to his dietary habits.

Speaking to reporters this week following an outstanding rehab start for the Double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs, Sale laid out the changes to his diet and how it will not only benefit his career, but also pay dividends when it comes to his overall health.

“I made a lot of changes with junk food and processed stuff and gluten,” Sale told reporters, via WEEI. “The list kind of goes on. Looking back now, I didn’t really take really good care of myself in that aspect of my life. How I was fueling my body, the stuff that I was eating. You can ask my teammates. I would show up on game day with a bag of McDonald’s or Taco Bell and that was my pregame meal to go pitch.

“That mixed with a little bit better sleeping patterns and more hydration, I think it’s helped me out a lot.”

Sale’s comments echo what he had to say during spring training about his newfound approach to committing himself to a better dietary regiment, including how he revealed that he hasn’t consumed any alcohol in over a year.

Interestingly enough, while Sale’s changes to his diet are noteworthy, his efforts hardly measure up to the offbeat, unconventional methods another ace pitcher has utilized while making his way though Tommy John surgery rehab.

Adjustments to diet aside, Sale looked dominant in his outing Tuesday for the Sea Dogs.