Chris Sale Officially Out For Wild-Card Series
1 week agoAtlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale (back), the favorite to win the National League Cy Young award in 2024, is officially out for the wild-card series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park this week, as he was left off the team's playoff roster. Sale was scratched from Game 2 of the doubleheader against the division-rival New York Mets in a must-win game on Monday. If the Braves pull the upset over the Padres in the wild-card series and advance to the NLDS to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, it's unknown if Sale would be able to make a return. Atlanta is going with AJ Smith-Shawver to start Game 1 against SD on Tuesday evening. Losing the NL's best pitcher at the most important time of the year is obviously really bad news for the Braves. Sale went 18-3 in 2024 with a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 225 strikeouts and only 39 walks in 177 2/3 innings over his 29 starts in his first year with Atlanta.
Source: USA TODAY Sports - Bob Nightengale
Source: USA TODAY Sports - Bob Nightengale