Almost as soon as Chris Sale was traded from the Boston Red Sox in Dec. 2023, jokes flowed about his health. Some Red Sox fans doubted he'd be able to make it through the Atlanta Braves' season without a stint on the injured list. Others were sure he'd post his best season yet for his new club.
The truth rests somewhere in the middle. The season is only one-quarter of the way complete and Sale hasn't had any injury scares yet. He's also pitching exceptionally well in Atlanta.
Sale torched the Red Sox, his team of six years, with his first and only double-digit strikeout performance of the season so far. Boston carries the second-highest strikeout total in MLB, so Sale had some help on his way to his best outing yet, but his dominance with a new ball club stings, nonetheless.
The lefty posted another stellar performance on May 14 — he pitched seven shutout innings and fanned nine Chicago Cubs, who only collected two hits against Sale.
Red Sox fans knew months ago that Chris Sale would pitch well for the Braves
Chris Sale is suddenly going to be healthy
— Trav (@ItzSweetTrav) December 30, 2023
Red Sox fans flocked to social media to share their "I told you so's" about Sale's success after his start against Boston. From jabs at his injury history to comments about the Red Sox paying his 2024 salary, Sox fans found multiple ways to share their displeasure over Sale's dominance.
Vaughn Grissom's injury that delayed his Red Sox debut added to the sting from Sale's turnaround. Boston swapped Sale for Grissom due to his frequent injuries and high paycheck, but it didn't get relief from either. Grissom was among the many Red Sox on the sidelines as their lineup was in utter shambles in the middle of April. And he's been performing poorly ever since rejoining the team.
There are still positive messages for Sale from Boston fans, though. Red Sox Nation is cynical and ruthless sometimes, but fans continue to appreciate the good things Sale did for the organization during his six years with the club.
The hurt associated with seeing someone fans were so invested in succeed elsewhere after struggling with the Sox for years is understandable. Things like Sale's turnaround happen to the Red Sox often, and Boston fans know by now that the best way to combat bad luck is to crack some jokes.