Braves' Chris Sale Shows Poise Through First Rehab Start

Chris Sale battles but stretches out a bit further in his first rehab start. The Atlanta Braves’ reigning Cy Young Award winner pitched two innings for Triple-A Gwinnett, allowing an earned run on three hits and two walks while striking out two. 

His command was shaky at times, needing 40 pitches and throwing 23 of them for strikes. This can be chalked up to this being his first time seeing live action in nearly two months.  

What matters most in his first time out is his health. While the command isn’t where he wants it to be yet, his body overall is totally sound. 

“I feel like my body and arm was there,” he said after this start. “It’s just the sharpness; really dialing in on the command where those misses, you try to make them a little bit smaller, and obviously try not to miss at all, but when you do miss, how drastic those are.” 

By design, there was heavy use of his fastball during his first start, with 26 of his 40 pitches being that pitch. Sale wants to make sure that the command on one of his primary pitches is down pat. 

“Just want to ease back into it and do this the right way,” he said. 

Between both innings, he felt his command was about the same. He’s taking it in stride and sees it as part of the process. 

Though he's patiently going through the process, he’s still eager to get back out there and help the Braves. 

“I’ve been through this too many times before, but it’s never fun watching your guys on TV,” he said. “I understand the process. I understand the necessity of the process, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

The goal is to build back up further, but he’d go back now if they called him to do it. 

“If you give me a ball, I’ll pitch whenever.” 

Sale has been on the injured list since June 19 with fractured ribs. Initially, he was on the 15-day injured list, but soon transferred to the 60-day. 

He sustained the injury on a diving play in his last start in the effort to preserve a complete game shutout. He got a strike away but fell short after allowing a two-out single. Manager Brian Snitker came out right after to end his night. 

 He went without throwing for nearly a month as he waited for the pain to subside. It took until week three to feel any difference. He took two weeks to play toss and have a bullpen session before he pitched in live batting practice last week. He threw 30 pitches that day over two simulated innings. 

Sale is eligible to come off the injured list next week, but it’s still up in the air when he’ll be back. The best estimate is that once he’s up to around 75 pitches, he’ll be activated. That will likely take another couple of starts to reach that point since he’s at 40. 

The left-hander has a 2.52 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP in 15 starts this season. He was on a tear in his last 10 starts before his injury with a 1.23 ERA in that span. 

Arguably, he was reentering the Cy Young race at the time of his injury, but we’ll know now. What matters is that while other arms in the rotation appear done for the year, he’s going to find his way back. 

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