Atlanta transferred Sale (ribs) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Sale landed on the injured list in late June due to a ribcage fracture. Manager Brian Snitker said last week that the team still expects Sale to return before the end of the season, though the left-hander's move to the 60-day IL ensures that won't be back until at least Aug. 20. The team acquired Hunter Stratton from Pittsburgh on Tuesday, replacing Sale on the 40-man roster, and Didier Fuentes will likely remain Atlanta's fifth starter going forward.
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said Monday that while the team fully anticipates Sale to pitch again this season, it won't have a timeline until it sees how the pitcher's fractured left ribcage heals, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Sale suffered the ribcage fracture while making a diving play during his start last Wednesday against the Mets and was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday. He will remain with the major-league club on its road trip because the team travels with a machine that Sale will use to help stimulate bone healing. Atlanta should have more on Sale's progress in the coming weeks.
Atlanta placed Sale on the 15-day injured list with a fractured left ribcage Saturday.
Sale made a diving play in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 5-0 win over the Mets and damaged his ribs in the process, resulting in his placement on the IL for the first time this season. He'll be eligible to return from the IL in early July, though it's likely he'll need more than a minimum-length stay. Austin Cox was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to give Atlanta extra bullpen depth in the short term, and the team will likely keep rookie Didier Fuentes in the rotation until Sale is ready to return from the shelf.
Sale (5-4) notched the win Wednesday against the Mets, giving up five hits and one walk in 8.2 scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
The All-Star left-hander narrowly missed out on what would've been his fourth career shutout, as Brandon Nimmo poked a bloop single to end the hurler's bid with two outs in the ninth inning. Sale still continued his recent tear on the mound, twirling at least six innings while allowing one run or fewer in his sixth straight start. His slow start to the year is becoming a distant memory, as Sale has drastically improved his 6.17 ERA from April 19 to 2.53 on the campaign following Wednesday's gem. The southpaw boasts a 1.23 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 82:19 K:BB over his last 10 appearances (66 innings), and he's scheduled for a rematch against the Mets early next week.
Braves' Chris Sale: Back on pitching schedule Wednesday
Rotowire
Sale is scheduled to make his next start Wednesday against the Mets in Atlanta, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
After striking out a season-high 11 batters in seven innings in his most recent start last Monday in Milwaukee, Sale was denied a two-start week when Atlanta opted to push him off his previously scheduled turn Sunday against the Rockies. Grant Holmes ended up getting the start Sunday, and Sale will now end up returning to the hill on eight days' rest for the second game of the home series versus the Mets. The decision to push Sale back in the schedule wasn't the result of any health concern; instead, Atlanta simply wanted to have the reigning Cy Young Award winner make each of his next three starts against divisional rivals as the 31-39 squad looks to make up ground in the NL East. After Wednesday's outing, Sale will tentatively line up to make his next two starts June 23 on the road against the Mets and June 28 at home versus the Phillies.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Won't start Sunday
Rotowire
Sale is having his start pushed back from Sunday to a game during Atlanta's upcoming series against the Mets, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Sale isn't dealing with any disclosed injury, rather Atlanta appears to be saving him for a key divisional series against the Mets. Grant Holmes will step in for Sales' originally scheduled start Sunday against the Rockies.
Sale (4-4) earned the win over Milwaukee on Monday, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters over seven innings.
Sale was dominant in the win, as he gave up only one extra-base hit and racked up 14 whiffs. The left-hander's 11 punchouts were a season high and marked the fourth time on the campaign he's reached double-digit strikeouts. Sale had an uneven start to the campaign, but he's now given up two or fewer earned runs in 10 straight outings. He's been particularly dominant over his current five-game streak of quality starts, allowing just four runs across 33 frames and posting a 43:12 K:BB during that stretch.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Dominates in tough-luck loss
Rotowire
Sale (3-4) was saddled with the loss Wednesday against the Diamondbacks after giving up one run on three hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out 10.
Sale was already up to 25 pitches following the opening inning, but that didn't impede him from putting together a dominant performance. It was the star left-hander's third outing with double-digit punchouts this season, and he even reached 98 mph with his fastball three times. Sale has rediscovered his form after struggling to a 6.17 ERA through his first five starts, as he's notched a 1.43 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 64:16 K:BB over his last eight, and his next outing is set to come against a Brewers team with a weak .664 OPS over 32 games since May 1.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Makes history in win
Rotowire
Sale (3-3) earned the win Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader against the Phillies, allowing two hits and three walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out eight.
Sale was dominant Thursday, holding a potent Phillies offense scoreless en route to his third win this season. With his eight Ks in Thursday's nightcap, the southpaw reached 2,500 strikeouts for his career, doing so in 2,026 innings -- the fastest pitcher in MLB history to hit that milestone, breaking Randy Johnson's record of 2,107.2 innings, per Anthony Sanfilippo of the Associated Press. After a shaky start to the year, Sale has posted a 1.42 ERA with 54 strikeouts in his last seven outings (44.1 innings). Overall, the reigning NL Cy Young winner's ERA sits at 3.06 with a 1.24 WHIP and 86:19 K:BB across 12 starts (67.2 innings) this season. He'll look to keep rolling his next time out, tentatively scheduled for next week at home against the Diamondbacks.
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