Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale will not be able to play until at least August due to a stress reaction in his left scapula, adding to a series of setbacks he has faced since signing a long-term deal before the 2019 season. Sale left a June 1 game against Cincinnati in the fourth inning because of shoulder soreness, with his velocity dropping in the third inning. He was placed on the 15-day injured list the following day and has now been moved to the 60-day injured list, with no further throwing planned for 3-4 weeks.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has said that no surgical procedure is needed, which is a positive development. Kutter Crawford is expected to take Sale’s place in the rotation against Colorado on Tuesday.
Other Team Moves
Alongside Sale’s injury, the Red Sox have also designated pitcher Matt Dermody for assignment after he made his first major league start and admitted to regretting an anti-gay tweet he posted two years ago. In addition, outfielder Adam Duvall has been activated from the 60-day injured list after recovering from a broken left wrist, while left-hander Joe Jacques has had his contract selected from Triple-A Worcester.
Sale’s Injury Record
Since he agreed to a deal that guaranteed him $160 million in March 2019, Sale has been limited by a series of injuries. In 47 starts since this date, he has a record of 16-15 with a 4.21 ERA. Before signing the deal, he had been an All-Star for seven straight seasons, with a record of 103-62 and a 2.89 ERA in his first nine big league seasons.
Sale had been unable to pitch from late July to mid-September in 2018 due to shoulder inflammation, but returned to help the Red Sox win the World Series. However, he did not pitch after August 13 in 2019 due to left elbow inflammation, and missed the entire 2020 season following Tommy John surgery. He only returned to the field on August 14, 2021, and did not pitch until July 2021 due to a stress fracture in a rib on his right side. After two starts, he broke his left pinkie due to a line drive off the bat of Aaron Hicks of the New York Yankees. Before he could return from this injury, he broke his right wrist in a bike accident.
Cora commented that Sale has been through a lot since 2018, but he remained hopeful that Sale would be able to return to top form. Sale has a record of 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA in 11 starts this season, and when he was able to play, he was able to dominate big league lineups.
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