National League pitcher Chris Sale (51) of the Atlanta Braves during workouts before the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14, 2025. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Atlanta Braves Ace a Step Closer to Return to Major League Rotation

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Jami Leabow | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 12:29 AM ET

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale made his first rehab start with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers on Tuesday night, and he showed he isn’t quite back to form yet.

The 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner pitched two innings against the Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds affiliate) and gave up one run on three hits and two walks. He struck out two batters in the 6-4 defeat and departed after 40 pitches.

Sale, 36, has been on the 60-day injured list with a fractured left ribcage. In 15 starts for Atlanta in 2025 before the injury, he was 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA. He struck out 114 batters in 89.1 innings.

Cy Young Award winner rehab alert!

The @Braves' Chris Sale notches a pair of strikeouts in two frames for @GoStripers: pic.twitter.com/mj5RZahO9R
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 13, 2025

What the Braves Have Missed

Sale is one of several top-line Braves to spend time on the injured list this season, but after the year he had in 2025, his loss was significant.

The left-hander was 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA. His 225 strikeouts in 177.2 innings locked up the Triple Crown in the National League for Sale, with league-leading totals in wins, ERA and strikeouts.

Barring an unbelievable final six weeks of the season, the Braves will miss the postseason for the first time since 2017. The franchise has been a model of consistency, winning the National League six times and qualifying via wild card once in that span.

The Braves will enter play Wednesday 18 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East and 13 games out of the final wild-card position.

Fun Facts

The game Tuesday was the first-ever appearance in a Stripers uniform for Sale. He came up through system of the Chicago White Sox, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft.

Sale was the second former Cy Young winner to pitch for Gwinnett in its 16-year history. Atlanta legend Tom Glavine made two rehab starts there in 2009.

This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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