Injured Former Red Sox Ace Takes Big Step In Returning To Mound

Slowly but surely injured former Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is making his way back to the Atlanta Braves starting rotation.

“Chris Sale played catch yesterday,” MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reported Wednesday. “He won’t be eligible to be activated until after Aug. 19. But he’s at least progressing toward his return to the Braves rotation.”

Sale is on the 60-day injured list with broken ribs.

He can’t return soon enough for a Braves club trying to remain relevant. Atlanta (42-53) is in fourth place in the National League East, 12 1/2 games behind the first-place Philadelphia Phillies. The Braves are 9 1/2 games back in the NL Wild Card standings.

The Braves front office has been adamant about not wanting to trade Sale before the July 31 deadline, even if Atlanta’s playoff chances have faded.

Sale was having another dominant season before ending up on the injured list. This year he’s 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 15 starts, with 114 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings. Those numbers earned him a spot on the NL roster for the All-Star Game.

Last year, Sale’s first in Atlanta, he won the National League Cy Young Award after winning the pitching Triple Crown. He led the NL in wins (18), ERA (2.38) and strikeouts (114).

The 36-year-old Sale pitched for the Red Sox from 2017 to 2023, helping the club win the 2018 World Series. But a series of injuries, including one which led to Tommy John surgery, prevented Sale from building a bigger legacy in Boston.

The Red Sox signed Sale to a five-year, $145 million contract extension before the 2019 season.

Boston traded him to Atlanta in December 2023 for infielder Vaughn Grissom in what was essentially a salary dump.

With the Red Sox streaking and the Braves slumping, there’s a rumor floating around that Boston could try to reacquire Sale from Atlanta.