Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is slated to start Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Monday, Sale met with the press and discussed how he feels following his brief stomach-related hospital stay during the American League Championship Series as well as all the other topics you'd expect from a media session.

Sale may or may not have played a joke on the media over the weekend when he suggested his illness was an infection borne from a belly ring -- yes, a belly ring. He's not yet ready to give up the ghost on fooling people, however, as he continued to maintain a slight poker face:

In addition to good humor, Sale appears to be hearty and hale again based on his weight. He's evidently regained about 10 pounds in the past week:

As for whether Sale, who has not pitched since Game 1 of the ALCS, is ready for the World Series, he's taking the expected approach. Sale said if he's on the mound he's 100 percent -- or, in other words, he'll be ready when it's time to go:

All and all, nothing too groundbreaking, but then again, what would you expect? Sale has almost always allowed his pitching to do his talking for him, and it talks well. This season, he posted a 2.11 ERA in 27 starts while striking out nearly seven batters per walk issued.

If Sale pitches anything like his usual self on Tuesday, the Red Sox will have a grand chance at taking a 1-0 lead in the 2018 World Series.