Chris Sale diagnosed with flexor strain, will not need surgery

The Boston Red Sox gathered several opinions on the latest arm issue Chris Sale is experiencing, and the news could have been much worse for the left-hander and the team.

Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke confirmed on Thursday that doctors have not recommended any type of surgery for Sale, including Tommy John. Sale was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his left elbow and will take a week off from throwing before being reevaluated.

Red Sox say flexor strain for Chris Sale.

Roenicke: “The UCL looks the same as the last image… doctors have advised him to wait another week before he starts throwing again. He’ll start playing catch again. If everything is good we’ll progress.”

— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) March 5, 2020

While that is certainly much better than needing Tommy John surgery, it is still a concern for the Red Sox. Sale was already going to miss the start of the season as he worked to regain his strength after battling pneumonia, and there is no timetable for when he might return to the rotation.

Sale, 30, had a rough season last year in which he posted a 6-10 record with a 4.40 ERA. He had elbow issues then as well, and he also dealt with fatigue in his throwing shoulder down the stretch in 2018 that led to concerns about his velocity in the postseason.

The Red Sox traded David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the Mookie Betts deal, so Sale’s health adds another major question mark to their starting rotation heading into the year.