Left-hander Patrick Sandoval’s long road back to the major leagues — two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery — resulted in him being activated from the 60-day injured list by the Boston Red Sox on Monday.
Per MassLive, Sandoval will start on Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, replacing injured left-hander Connelly Early.
In a corresponding move, left-hander Alec Gamboa was optioned to Triple-A Worcester. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Jack Anderson was designated for assignment.
Sandoval, 29, had Tommy John surgery in June 2024 while with the Los Angeles Angels, who non-tendered him that fall. The Red Sox signed him to a two-year, $18.25 million contract in December 2024, hopeful he would be ready for this season.
Sandoval, who spent his first six seasons with the Angels, dealt with biceps discomfort in 2025, which led to complications and delayed his start to this season.
He posted a 1.96 ERA in 18 1/3 innings on his rehab assignment through June and early July, including five scoreless innings and 68 pitches for Double-A Portland on Saturday. He allowed one hit, struck out seven and walked one.
An 11th-round pick of the Angels in the 2015 draft, Sandoval is 19-45 with a 4.01 ERA in 107 games (100 starts) over 536 innings.
