The Braves introduced Saturday afternoon that they’ve positioned southpaw Chris Sale on the 15-day injured checklist with what the membership has termed a fractured left rib cage.
The membership recalled left-hander Austin Cox in a corresponding transfer. As famous by David O’Brien of The Athletic, Sale was injured on Wednesday evening when he made a diving play to cease a grounder off the bat of Juan Soto.
It’s a brutal blow for Atlanta to be dealt, notably following a banner week that noticed it sweep the then-division-leading Mets and get inside 5 video games of an NL wild-card spot. The Braves have received seven of their final 10 video games, but when they’re going to maintain that momentum moving into a bid to get again over .500 and extra firmly return to playoff rivalry, they’ll now want to take action with out Sale in the interim.
The reigning NL Cy Younger Award winner, Sale has constructed on his good 2024 season with a 2025 marketing campaign that’s been practically nearly as good. Throughout 15 begins this 12 months, the 36-year-old has pitched to an excellent 2.52 ERA with a 2.65 FIP throughout 89 1/3 innings of labor.
He’s struck out an exceptional 30.8 p.c of his opponents whereas strolling simply 7.0 p.c. These wonderful peripherals have left him with a 2.96 SIERA, making him one in every of simply seven certified starters in baseball this 12 months with a determine underneath three. Solely Logan Webb and Paul Skenes are having higher seasons by measure of ERA, and Sale is doing all of that regardless of horrible batted ball luck: his .329 BABIP allowed is the fourth-highest determine amongst certified starters within the majors this 12 months.
It’s been one other banner 12 months for the southpaw, who has seemed rejuvenated in Atlanta after injury-marred seasons with the Purple Sox from 2019 to 2023.
Sadly, that resurgence is now placed on maintain by one other important harm. Sale’s timetable for a return to motion is just not but recognized at this level, however it’s value noting {that a} stress fracture in Sale’s proper ribs price him the primary half of the 2022 season. After being sidelined in mid-March by the harm, Sale didn’t return to the mound till early July.
An identical timeline would put the rest of the southpaw’s 2025 marketing campaign at risk, however it’s necessary to notice that it’s unclear if Sale’s present rib cage fracture is as extreme because the rib difficulty he handled in 2022.
Nevertheless lengthy the ace’s absence finally finally ends up being, it leaves Atlanta with a rotation combine that’s stretched very skinny. The crew is already with out Reynaldo Lopez for the foreseeable future after he underwent shoulder surgical procedure earlier this 12 months, and AJ Smith-Shawver is finished for the season after present process Tommy John surgical procedure. Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider will try to carry issues down on the entrance of the rotation in Sale’s absence, whereas Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder will look to deal with mid-rotation duties. Rookie Didier Fuentes at the moment holds the fifth starter job after making a spot begin towards the Marlins Friday, however one other starter like Hurston Waldrep, Davis Daniel and even Ian Anderson is also known as upon to assist spherical out the rotation combine.
