BOSTON -- Chris Sale's level of frustration over walking five batters for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday night in a Minor League rehab start reached the point that it went viral on Twitter.

A day later, the lefty was in a much better mood at Fenway Park. This is because Sale knows his 2022 season is finally nearing the opening chapter.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora indicated that Sale is all but certain to take the ball for Boston on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field in the second of a four-game series against the Rays.

"He'll pitch Tuesday. Somewhere, he'll pitch Tuesday," Cora said with a wry smile. "But there's a good chance he'll pitch with us."

Wednesday was Sale's fourth Minor League rehab start, as he got extended to 72 pitches. He allowed three hits and notched five strikeouts to go with the five free passes in 3 2/3 innings. When Sale came out of the game, he had a fit of frustration which included kicking in a television set outside the clubhouse.

While Sale remained irked that someone decided to film his tantrum in an area he assumed was off-limits to media, he owned the moment a day later.

"You're just acting like an idiot, honestly," said Sale. "It's just a 7-year-old temper tantrum. It's not something I'm proud of. It's not something I want to do. But like I said, stuff happens, man. Gotta get it out."

Sale is reimbursing the WooSox for the damage.

What set Sale off?

"I feel like I've gone months without walking five guys [total]," said Sale. "Especially for a final tune-up start, I expect a lot out of myself. I expect to be who I am. And when that doesn't work out, sometimes emotions take over the best of you and Worcester got a new TV out of it."

In February, while the lockout was still going on, Sale fractured his right rib cage during a live batting practice session in Fort Myers, Fla.

It has been a long climb back, but much easier, Sale admitted, than the rehab from Tommy John surgery which knocked him out for all of 2020 and limited him to nine starts last season.

In fact, Sale's arm felt so strong on Thursday that he threw a bullpen session the day after his start.

"Probably 15, 20-ish [pitches]," Sale said. "Just all fastballs. Just working on direction. I don't really need to work on pitch mix as much as I just need to feel direction towards the catcher."

The fact that Sale was able to perform that exercise the day after pitching spoke volumes to him.

"I can tell you I've never in my life thrown a day-one bullpen and I did it today. So knock on wood, my arm, I feel like it's as strong as it could be," said Sale. "I wasn't expecting to do it today. But my arm feels whippy today. It felt good. If it feels good, I'm gonna use it."

Sale's return couldn't come at a better time. The Red Sox are in a key stretch of games in which they are only playing the Rays and Yankees prior to the All-Star break.

Also, the rotation has been decimated recently by injuries. Nathan Eovaldi, who has stood in as the ace for Sale for most of the last three seasons, has been sidelined with a back injury since June 9. He will make a rehab start for Worcester on Sunday. Garrett Whitlock, who had been in the rotation, went down at that same time with a right hip injury. He starts his Minor League rehab assignment Friday for Worcester and will be a reliever when he comes back.

Righty Michael Wacha has a "dead arm" and hasn't been able to pitch this week. Lefty Rich Hill sprained his left knee last weekend at Wrigley Field and will miss at least a couple of more weeks.

The return of Sale should be a big boost.

"Whenever it is, I feel good. I felt better today in my bullpen [session] than I did out there on the mound yesterday," said Sale. "I was just telling them, sometimes it's good to run into some stuff like that -- traffic on the bases, having to pitch out of stuff and not having everything on a given day. It was a good test."