FORT MYERS, Fla. — Based on the fist bumps he engaged in with teammates and Red Sox pitching coaches, left-handed pitcher Chris Sale had a good opening session on the mound Thursday at the Fenway South practice fields.

With a black band covering his left elbow, Sale threw about 25 pitches before stopping. After some throws, he talked with the coaches. After leaving the field for about 20 minutes, Sale returned and did about a half-dozen light wind sprints. He [...]

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Based on the fist bumps he engaged in with teammates and Red Sox pitching coaches, left-handed pitcher Chris Sale had a good opening session on the mound Thursday at the Fenway South practice fields.

With a black band covering his left elbow, Sale threw about 25 pitches before stopping. After some throws, he talked with the coaches. After leaving the field for about 20 minutes, Sale returned and did about a half-dozen light wind sprints. He had a slight cough as he recovers from pneumonia and the flu.

For the first time in seven seasons, Sale, in 2019, did not finish in the top six in Cy Young voting or have a double-digit-win season. The left-hander went 6-11 with a 4.40 earned-run average. He struck out 218 and walked 37 in 147 innings. That’s the least amount he has pitched since 2011.

An ailing elbow forced Sale to shut it down in August but he didn’t need offseason surgery.

Sale did not make himself available to the media after the workout but newly signed catcher Jonathan Lucroy was impressed after handling Sale’s throws. “He was feeling pretty good,” Lucroy said. “He started a little slow; they have him on a little slower count. He kind of pumped it up at the end, said he really felt good. He looked good, honestly.

“He’s nasty. He comes at you and sets that angle. It’s weird — you almost have to line up to second base to get straight up.

“Hopefully, I’ll catch him a lot.”

The Red Sox now are up to seven catchers in camp with Lucroy signing a minor-league deal Wednesday.

Lucroy’s best season occurred in 2014 when he had 13 homers, 69 RBI, 54 doubles and a .301 batting average for the Milwaukee Brewers. Those numbers, combined with his catching skills, helped him finish fourth in MVP voting.

Over a 10-year career with the Brewers, Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs, he compiled 108 homers, 545 RBI and a .276 batting average.

Lucroy said he’s feeling better after dealing with a herniated disc for three years.

“[Manager Ron Roenicke] called me and wanted me to come,” Lucroy said. “Look, I got an opportunity here. That’s all I can ask for for, a guy in my position.”

Devers in camp

Third baseman Rafael Devers joined the team after missing the first few days of camp while celebrating the birth of his daughter.

Devers hit .311 with 32 homers, 115 RBI and eight stolen bases last season. The 22-year-old third baseman finished 12th in the MVP voting.

“His numbers were sick last year,” said David Ortiz, who made a visit to the Red Sox training complex. “I really watched a lot of games, and when I sat at home, it seemed every day the guy will do some damage. I couldn’t wait for him to come and hit. He’d hit a rocket at somebody. When he wasn’t giving away at-bats, I said, ‘Bro, this guy is at another level.’ ”

Mind-body recovery

Red Sox players might not be on the field nearly as much as they used to for spring training but they’re finding other ways to prepare.

Roenicke said that with recovery gaining importance, a key is keeping workouts around two hours so players are off their feet. “We figured out there’s a better way to do things,” he said.

Outfielder Kevin Pillar said players are working more with sports psychologists, doing more visual training, breathing and getting massages from therapists.

“And this might surprise you but there’s an amount of guys who take a ball home, their bats home and take dry swings or dry throws,” he said. “At the end of the day, everyone understands we have a job to do.

“We’re competitive and want to be the best version of ourselves. We’re just doing things that are less taxing.”

Workman at work

Closer Brandon Workman, who went 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 16 saves, said he threw live bullpen Thursday and is tentatively set for another session on Sunday.

Regarding the task of closing, he said, “I like that job. It’s a lot of adrenaline.”