The Red Sox announced that they have reinstated left-hander Chris Sale from the 60-day injured list, with fellow lefty Brandon Walter optioned in a corresponding move. The 40-man roster previously had a vacancy but is now full. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported the moves prior to the official announcement. Sale will start tonight’s game against the Tigers.
Sale, 34, was once one of the best pitchers in the majors but his health has been the primary focus in recent years. He required Tommy John surgery in 2020, wiping out that season and most of 2021 as well. In 2022, a stress reaction in his ribs kept him out until July. He returned but fractured a finger when he was struck by a comebacker. While on the injured list for that ailment, he broke his wrist in a bicycle accident.
Here in 2023, it was relatively smooth sailing for a while. He tossed 59 innings over 11 starts, allowing 4.58 earned runs per nine innings but he probably deserved better. He struck out 28.5% of batters faced and walked 6%, but his .315 batting average on balls in play and 69.4% strand rate were both a bit on the unlucky side. Metrics like his 3.69 FIP and 3.47 SIERA painted a rosier picture of his season than his ERA.
In early June, he was placed on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation, though he was later moved to the 60-day IL with his condition described as a stress reaction in his shoulder blade. That has kept him out of action until now, just a bit beyond the 60-day minimum.
What the Sox will get from Sale at this point remains to be seen. His results earlier in the year were decent, but he’s already pitched more innings than in any season since 2019. Perhaps he will run into workload concerns, though his rotation mate James Paxton shows that’s not necessarily the case. The latter has thrown 80 1/3 innings this year with a 3.36 ERA after missing almost all of the previous three campaigns. Sale has one more guaranteed year remaining on his extension with a $27.5MM salary for 2024 and a $20MM club/vesting option for 2025.
Sale and Paxton figure to hold down two rotation spots for now, with Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford in the other three. Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck are both on rehab assignments right now and could factor into that mix soon, though manager Alex Cora recently said there’s “a good chance” Whitlock will be used as a multi-inning reliever upon his return.
Here we go.
And by next week, Sale breaks a middle finger and is back on the injury list.
Sale needs some anger management sessions. He’s done this a few times now, and it’s costing the Red Sox his much needed starts, especially now that he’s gotten better again.
His adrenaline helped us in 2018
Doom and Bloom,
Yes, being fiery and passionate is one thing. Punching walls and breaking your hand is another.
You know for all the talk early on in his career about his terrible mechanics and they didn’t like his body type he held out pretty good until his mid 30s. I’d expect any pitcher was his workload to break down in his mid 30s. I would have never given him that contract, but I wouldn’t give any pitcher with that workload any multiple year contract.
That is why Sox are rebuilding and did not sign guys like Mookie. Sale was one of the contracts holding back the Sox.
see Strasburg, Stephen
Mookie wanted out. Mookie hates Boston. Mookie thinks Boston is racist. Accept it.
Boston was the Selma AL of the north for decades, yet many refuse to accept it including current residents.
Weren’t the Sox like one year into the Sale extension when they made the indefensible decision to trade Mookie?
What work load? The guy has been injured more times than he was healthy!
Plzzzzz don’t jinx it man … Lol
Maybe they can take some advice from his cousin, Garage Sale, or his uncle, Rummage Sale, or his grandpa, Yard Sale.
Time to take the family opinions into consideration…
hayzee – Gotta love how the guy from Delaware with the 3.07 ERA and 1.432 WHIP gets demoted, but the guy from El Tigre with the 6.97 ERA and 2.03 WHIP stays.
Bloom and Cora are what makes this team “underdogs”, because neither one wants to win.
I agree. Cora has done a terrible job with handling the pitching staff. Pulls Kutter Crawford way to early all the time in a close game and then leaves in a veteran reliever to give up 6 runs to blow the game open for the other team. I think Sox have some potential young arms that need to work under a better staff.
I gotta love guys on the internet who don’t have inside information or any experience managing a bullpen have takes on who should stay and who should go. There’s more than who’s pitching the best. There’s so many restrictions on pitchers that you need 16 man bullpen. That’s why teams don’t just sign 9 RP to major league contracts who don’t have options. You need the ability to option guys off the roster, yea even when they’re pitching well to get fresh arms up.
Just another case or ignorant fans thinking they know something and not understanding current baseball.
That is why you sign good pitchers. You would not have to worry about options. YOu win with your best not worse.
If you signed 12 allstar pitchers from the year before it would be very difficult to manage but you don’t understand how to manage a baseball team in 2023 so it’s alright.
Iver – You’re making assumptions about fans without having a clue what they do or don’t know, and yet you call THEM the ignorant ones?
Let’s go over the list of excuses ….
“Fresh arms” – It’s not like Walter threw 60 pitches last night, he hasn’t pitched anywhere since August 5th. If his arm was any fresher he’d be doing commercials for Massengill.
“Must replace a LHP with another LHP”. – As long as they are effective who gives a crap what side of the mound they throw from, and it’s not like the BP is loaded with southpaws … only two others ATM.
“Options” – If a guy is out of options and pitches like crap, you don’t demote someone who has been much better to hang onto the crappy pitcher. Not when you’re *supposedly* competing for a playoff berth.
I suppose you think the managers were right and fans were wrong when Grady left in Pedro and Johnny Mac left in Buckner.
Management never makes bad decisions according to you, wow talk about mindless sheep.
Too many things you got wrong to go over so I won’t respond to that novel. You keep yelling at the Tv thinking you know how baseball is played in 2023.
Rob – Of course you are 100% correct, only an idiot would care more about “options” than winning when their team is 4 out of a WC spot with just 47 games remaining.
thank you. You win with your best players not worse.
The alternative avenue to the playoffs is to purchase tickets
And for some reason management doesn’t understand that!!!! Pitching wins u titles !!!
Bure – I know very well how it’s played more than most people here. I listen, watch or attend at least 146 games a year. And I read up on it constantly. I’m not much of a fan of any other sport, except some college basketball, so I devote a lot more time to baseball than most.
Knowing how baseball is played in 2023 doesn’t mean it’s the best way to be played, and it sure as heck doesn’t mean we have to like the way it’s played.
You’ve cracked the code. Got to wonder why exactly 0 teams do this.
Either you’re a genius, or….
Is “guy from Delaware” code for something?
Joe – No, I’m not gonna get political. Stick with baseball please.
I don’t even know how to process that. YOU were the one that used the phrase. I merely asked what you meant by it. I assume, by your reply, that you were trying to make a political statement?
next 9 games are tigers/nationals/free-falling yankees. need to take care of business because their schedule gets tough after that
Next article: “Chris Sale injured walking onto the field after returning from the injured list”
lol
Sale activated from 600 day DL stint.
Did Manfred forget about the suspensions to Ramirez and Anderson? Its been about a week on “appeal” it should take about a 20 min zoom meeting. Absolute joke.
They are not sure how to use zoom
rob – This is hilarious but 100% true, Zoom recently ordered their employees back to the office.
Can’t make this stuff up if you tried! LOL!
cbsnews.com/news/zoom-requires-employees-to-return…
What’s Sale’s pitch count going to be? A limit of 50ish? And if it gets us 3-4-5 innings so. be it. The worst thing Kennedy/Bloom/Cora could do is to think he’ll ever be a 100 pitch 6 inning starter ever again. 30 pitches 3 days off. 40 pitches 4 days off, 5o pitches 5 days off.
He does offer more value than Walter, Llovea, or anyone ranked 10-13 on our staff. Until he gets hurt again.
Sale’s return against bad teams gives him a couple of starts with less pressure on him from a competition stand point. By his third start he’ll need to be the Sale we saw earlier this year.
It’s the media’s fault that they constantly rehash everything that’s gone on for the past 3 years with every article about Sale. We all know what’s going on w/him. No need to rehash. Just put a blurb, like every other player. Sale will either make it pay and get back to some level of ability/production, or he’ll become a tragic footnote. But inbetween, just put a blurb “Chris Sale coming back from injury, starting Friday”.
Media just *HAS* to add the drama element, whether it’s politics, sports or finance.
Not everyone reading this is a diehard Red Sox fan. Most are not. I follow MLB but needed a refresher on Sale’s current state.
@ MarkGrace.
I think that is the question we all have. Won’t know for a couple weeks, bro.
Mark if you do not already know what has happened with Sale over the last three years, then you are not a baseball fan…..
Waiting for tomorrow’s article about what freak unfortunate circumstance lands him back on the IL.
The story is the story. No point railing against it. People come in after the movie started.
Joking about injuries to a player is lame
I thought lame played for Oakland?
How many more years on this albatross contract?
Anything is better than having Cora’s homie, Llovera on the roster.
@ fever pitch guy….. don’t hate this die hard… but in 03 I talked loudly to tv that Grady better NOT take out Pedro!!! The option of a struggling bullpen ( probably would have been Timlin and or Embree) or greatness pitcher I ever saw ( minus roids).. I know now the whole 100 pitch thing and his era etc but like Grady I too would have been selling peanuts the next year… as for 86…. Oh my hindsight… before game 6 I believe Steamer had 0 wp that year.. also Stapleton was better.. yes… but he was no way a matingly at 1 base… A big fan of Redsox absolutely but honest… this coming from the only guy in Chicago who wanted the Bulls to draft Bowie… I’ll just stick to rooting for the miss fit toys and leave the games up to the professionals… LOL….
olmtiant – So much fun to read your historical comments!! As a chicagoland Red Sox fan who suffered through the Bears and Bulls demises the latest Red Sox one reminds that the past does repeat itself in that Owners seldom comprehend when they have something beyond special and what makes it beyond special. Dumping RYan versus Marshall, dumping Krause versus Phil and dumping Cora vs DD all classic owner mistakes that destrolyed potential dynasties.
After taking Quintan Daily with the 7th pick in 82 and Sidney Green with the 5th pick in 83, I thought Perkins or Barkley were better choices than Bowie. He reminded me too much of Boerwinkle!!
Like Bloom, sometimes it pays to have bad GMs picking before you to leave a Jordan available or a Mayer available. Let’s hope Mayer does half as well as Jordan did at basketball not baseball!!
TOM B!!! Wow!!! Well said… remember going to a bulls game and Dave Corzine had a career game… we kept shouting for Jordan to pass HIM the ball!!! Man the 85 bears … one and done… brutal… mccasky hands down the worst owner all time!!! I still cringe thinking of his woof woof woof before SB… was a big Jim Ed fan in mid 70’s .. when kids still played games from 9 am- 9pm in summer ( baseball then football between buildings of Morton east in Cicero.. only chance I would get to see Redsox was if I had perfect attendance or straight A’S( I’m a Ryan B) fan so you guess which it was…and they offered thru white Sox. 104 temp.. going to school.. broken arm… just a bruise.. going to school… ah the good old days when my only solice was the Cubs and w Sox didn’t win one after 1918!!!
olmtiant – I could never hate a fellow Sox fan! But I have to tell ya, I think you are misremembering about the ’03 bullpen. They were lights out in the postseason, especially in that ALCS!
Arroyo & Williamson gave up 2 runs in 6 innings and the rest of ’em (Embree, Jones, Sauerbeck and Timlin) gave up NADA in 11 innings!
Pedro gave his all in the 7th, mentally and physically, because he was under the impression it would be his last inning. Bringing him out for the 8th is like grabbing a gun with no bullets in it.
Now 2008, THAT was the ALCS that Tito blew by continuing to put a worthless Timlin on the mound. That was such a frustrating series loss, Sox shoulda been back-to-back champions.
Oh my how correct you are!!! In 2003 i to was not a stat’s guy even though I loved strato- matic baseball and played in a league.. my buddy would buy bill James baseball abstract years before money ball and all the rest… I wasn’t a big fan of this…. You know some pencil pusher saying who is better and such…( boy glad they brought him in in 04!!!) what I learned was you could be brutal in regular season but still be awesome in post… every time they pushed one out there I expected the worse( who can blame a Redsox fan for being cynical)
Olmtiant – Little known fact, the Red Sox haven’t won a championship without Bill James since 1918!
Once being a power pitcher for the Chisoxs Sales has accumulated a lot of mileage & stress on that arm as of late. Not sure what he can bring to the table for the struggling Bosoxs.
How long until he’s out with a broken ankle suffered while karate kicking a tv in the clubhouse? 2 weeks?
Salen is pitching efficiently tonight. Looms good so far!
Hmm. I am going to blame typo spasm
DBH – No worries. As long as Mello, Gridlock, Crawfish and Hawk pitch to their capabilities I think they have a chance. ;O)
Want to know why Sale hates playing for Cora? Check out how he cost Sale a win for no reason. The same crap he did in 2018 and 2019 screwing with his stats and mind.
58 pitchers 1 hit and he hits Baez by accident with two out in the 5th needing one more out for the win and being completely dominant and he’s pulled because Cora wants to show him whose the ignorant boss. Same story as so many other starts.
Sale haters want him gone and people like me that love the guy want him gone so he never has to deal with Cora ever again.
Not only did Sale not get the win but Sale gave up two runners, 1 on a HR and the other Baez with a two out HBP who scored due to the crap bullpen work provided by somebody who shouldn’t have entered the game. Doubled Sale’s ERA for the game due to bad managing.
Sale was only supposed to throw 50 pitches/4innings.. I understand he had been great until that point but he got a longer leash. However after the game Sale said he had too much respect for Cora to show him up after he took him out of the game so I don’t think sale hates Cora as much as you think.
KD – Anybody in the world who wants to keep their job and has a boss is gonna support said boss at all times.
Showing up your boss is career suicide for most people, because it’s about as much anti-team as you can get.
FPG: I’m guessing that response is directed at me? those rules don’t really apply to veteran baseball players making 30+ million.
I haven’t been following the back and forth stuff and it’s very confusing so I’ll probably not address any of you by name. If only they had a quote feature!
Yes they do apply, Cora is in a position of authority and can make Sale’s life miserable if he wanted. Also it would hurt Sale’s value if he’s labeled an insubordinate malcontent.
Oh Yes, I am sure Sale is really angry about his ERA being doubled.
Truth is that Sale was on a 50 pitch limit. He was at 48 when the 4th ended. He shouldn’t have even gone out for the 5th inning, in my opinion.
Sale isn’t stretched out yet and agreed to come back earlier than planned if he could get stretched out over the next couple of weeks.
For all practical purposes, Sale is back to stretching out like it’s spring training. I would expect a 55 or 60 pitch limit next time out no matter how many innings that ends up being.
What good is the win if it means losing him to another injury?
Acel – Don’t forget in 2018 when Cora bragged to Sale and the Red Sox about how he cheated his way to a championship in 2017. Sale was one of Cora’s opponents who lost because of Cora’s cheating!!!