RED SOX NOTEBOOK: Sale set for return

Ace Chris Sale is due to come off the disabled list and pitch Tuesday in a short appearance.

BOSTON — Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Red Sox ace Chris Sale in his next game action would be wise to arrive at Fenway Park early on Tuesday night.

 Sale (left shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to come off the disabled list against the Blue Jays as the opener, the same short starting role favored by the Rays and several other clubs this season. Nathan Eovaldi will follow the left-hander to the mound after two innings or 40 pitches to begin the three-game series.

 “Two the first time, hopefully three the second time,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “Keep going and then the last one, whenever it is, is a full go — six innings, 100 pitches.

 “There’s a few days there with the off days that we can take advantage of him building up and taking care of other guys, which is very important.”

 Sale has pitched only once since July 27, dominating the Orioles on Aug. 12 in a 4-1 Boston victory at Camden Yards. The Red Sox are 25-9 in that span, including an 11-4 mark against fellow postseason contenders. That certainly doesn’t mean Boston won’t require Sale fronting its rotation to make a deep run in October.

 David Price (Wednesday), Eduardo Rodriguez (Thursday) and Hector Velazquez (Friday) will take regular turns following Sale. Brian Johnson has been dropped to the bullpen and Eovaldi could join him there once the calendar flips to October. Boston wants to see if Johnson can consistently retire left-handers and if Eovaldi can offer another power right-handed option in relief for the playoff drive.

 “At the same time, we’ve got to be careful, too,” Cora said. “(Eovaldi is) coming off of Tommy John (elbow) surgery. He’s been pitching a lot this season. It’s a good time to slow him down so we can build him up again and go where we have to go.”

Nunez gets call: Eduardo Nunez drew the start at third base on Friday night against the Astros and figures to play against Sunday against Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel. Cora said Brock Holt is likely to start Saturday against right-hander Charlie Morton.

 Where does that leave Rafael Devers? The 21-year-old could be feeling a bit of a roster squeeze down the stretch with Nunez, Holt and Brandon Phillips all viable options to man the hot corner.

 “Eduardo has been playing well,” Cora said. “I know over the last however many he hasn’t had too much success, but he’s been hitting the ball solid and he’s playing good defense.”

 Devers wrapped up a rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket on Monday, hitting in five of his six games with the PawSox. He’s been on the disabled list three times since mid-July, most recently with a second left hamstring strain. Nunez enjoyed his best two offensive months of the season in July and August, slashing .286/.298/.435 with four of his 10 home runs and 18 of his 34 extra-base hits this season.

Where it all began: The first edition of this American League Division Series rematch came more than two months ago.

 It wound up being an important weekend for Boston at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Mookie Betts (abdominal strain) was sidelined, Dustin Pedroia (left knee inflammation) was scratched before the May 31 opener and Sale was bested by Gerrit Cole on Friday. The Astros had the first half of the four-game set in their pockets and looked poised for the kill.

 Not for the first time this season, the Red Sox climbed off the mat. Andrew Benintendi’s two-run homer was the difference in a 5-4 victory on Saturday and Mitch Moreland’s two-run shot in the first inning set the tone for a 9-3 triumph on Sunday.

 “Easily we could have put our heads down, they win the series and we move on,” Cora said. “We found out a few things — not only about them, but about our team.”

 Boston captured 58 of its next 81 games following that Friday defeat, a string it brought into this weekend’s three-game set.