When the Boston Red Sox traded Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves in December 2023, there were quite a few Sox fans who predicted his meteoric rebound season.
Sale owns the lowest ERA in MLB at 2.38, the league's best win percentage, and he tossed a National League-leading 225 strikeouts in 177.2 innings. The 35-year-old is a lock for the NL Cy Young award and his arm would've gone a long way for Boston this season.
For every fan who foresaw Sale's rebound slate, there were many more who expected his injury history to remain an issue. Now, he isn't available to pitch when the Braves need him most.
Sale has been scratched with back spasms and will not pitch to save his team's season, first reported by Mark Bowman of MLB.com.
Chris Sale's injury just before most important Braves game of the year gives Red Sox fans flashbacks
Chris Sale has been scratched with back spasms. Felt it last night
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 30, 2024
Hurricane Helene forced MLB to postpone Atlanta's final two games against their arch-rival Mets in a doubleheader on Sept. 30. New York took the first game in dramatic fashion — late-game offense, defensive mishaps and multiple lead changes ended in the Mets' favor. Their spot in the postseason is secured, and the Braves need to split to earn their own playoff spot.
Sale was slated to pitch against the Mets before the games were postponed. Atlanta pushed his start back to ensure he plays at the most critical moment, and based on his season of work, that seemed like a smart move. But based on Sale's injury history, it was not.
The Braves must win to save their season, and replacement starter Grant Holmes will need to pull through to get his team into the postseason. If Atlanta wins game two, it earns a postseason spot alongside the Mets. If New York sweeps, the Arizona Diamondbacks will be back in the playoffs a year after they made an unexpected run to the World Series.
Players shouldn't be blamed for injuries. Sale's recent seasons have been derailed by in-game injuries to freak accidents, but Red Sox Nation feels Atlanta's pain. It took 161 games, but the Braves learned, at the worst possible time, why the Red Sox traded Sale.