Braves ace Chris Sale not expected to pitch in wild-card series vs. Padres due to back spasms
The Atlanta Braves won’t be getting Chris Sale back in time for the start of the postseason.
Braves manager Brian Snitker confirmed Monday, after his team snuck into the playoffs with a win over the New York Mets, that his star pitcher likely won't be available for the Braves' wild-card series against the San Diego Padres. Sale was supposed to pitch in his team's 3-0 win over the Mets — which was part of a must-win rescheduled doubleheader — but he was scratched at the last minute due to back spasms.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters he does not expect National League Cy Young favorite Chris Sale, who was scratched today with back spasms, to pitch in their wild card series against San Diego. Massive loss for the Braves, whose rotation is now in flux.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) September 30, 2024
It's unclear how long Sale will be sidelined due to the injury or if he'll be available for the team in later rounds should they advance.
Those spasms apparently first hit Sale on Sunday, and they were bad enough to keep him off the mound on Monday. Rookie Grant Holmes, who had made just six starts all season, took his place and still led the Braves to the win. Holmes had seven strikeouts and allowed just one hit in four innings on the mound.
Despite not pitching Monday, Sale still locked up the NL Triple Crown. He finished the season with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts. Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal won the AL Triple Crown on Sunday, too. This is just the second time in the past century that pitchers have won the Triple Crown in both leagues in the same season.
Sale, who was one of the league’s best pitchers early in his career, is now sure to win the Cy Young Award this season for the first time. Sale being healthy was a big reason for the Braves’ success this season, too. The Braves finished the year with an 89-73 record and earned their seventh straight postseason berth.
With Sale unavailable, it’s unclear who will start for the Braves in Game 1 of their wild-card series against the Padres on Tuesday in San Diego or what that rotation will look like. The Padres finished second in the NL West with a 93-69 record to earn a spot in the playoffs for the third time in the past five seasons. The winner of their series will advance to the NLDS to take on the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers.
