Chris Sale faced hitters for the first time since July on Saturday.
The Red Sox left-hander, with his family present, threw 23 pitches off a mound to teammates in Fort Myers.
He called it “a big deal” in the process as he makes his return after Aaron Hicks of the Yankees tattooed a ball that destroyed Sale’s left pinkie.
“Last time I faced a hitter, it wasn’t fun,” Sale told reporters. “So this was a lot of fun. Today was a big day for me, just because it’s one more step in the right direction.