Chris Sale did not pitch in 2020 and missed the start of last season after he underwent Tommy John surgery, and the left-hander will once again be on the shelf to begin 2022.
The Boston Red Sox announced on Wednesday that Sale is recovering from a stress fracture in his rib. There’s no specific timeline for his return, but chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters it will be weeks before Sale can begin throwing again.
Bloom: Chris Sale has a stress fracture in his right rib cage and won’t be ready for start of season
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 16, 2022
Bloom: “We’re talking weeks, not days until we can get a ball back in his hand.”
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 16, 2022
Bloom added that Sale felt the injury during a live batting practice session recently. He said the 32-year-old has shown improvement since he reported to camp. Sale said he is hugely disappointed, as he felt fully healthy entering the season for the first time in years.
Sale says “the biggest blow” was that he’d been looking forward to his first full healthy season since 2017. Says he’d been very prepared for season with arm. Was he overdoing it with preparation? “Yes and no…These type of injuries are overuse injuries.”
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 16, 2022
Sale was one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball a few years ago. He made nine starts for the Red Sox last year after returning in mid-August and went 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA. Boston’s success is largely dependent on his health, so Red Sox fans will not be pleased to hear Sale is on the injured list again.
Photo: Oct 8, 2021; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning in game two of the 2021 ALDS at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
