Braves ace left-hander Chris Sale has been placed on the 15-day Injured List with a fractured left rib cage, per multiple reports. He suffered the injury while making a diving play on a ground ball in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s game. Left-hander Austin Cox was recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett in a corresponding move.
The #Braves today recalled LHP Austin Cox to Atlanta and placed LHP Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list, backdated to June 19, with a fractured left ribcage.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 21, 2025
Chris Sale heads to the Injured List
The unfortunate injury occurred in the midst of an impressive encore season to Sale’s Cy Young campaign a year ago. The star hurler was on a heater recently, with a 1.41 ERA and 90:22 K/BB in his last 11 starts. On the whole, he carries a 2.52 ERA, 2.65 FIP, and 26:114 in 15 starts for the year. In his last start against the Mets, he tossed 8 2/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts.
It’s a crushing blow for Sale, who was starting to shed the injury-prone label he adopted during his Red Sox tenure. In addition to effectively ending any back-to-back Cy Young hopes, the injury will surely keep Sale from representing Atlanta in their home stadium for the All-Star game. He would have been strongly considered to start. The Braves haven’t yet announced a timeline for his return. Similar injuries typically require a recovery period of around 1-2 months.
Tough blow for an already beleaguered rotation
Sale’s absence will stretch a beat-up Braves starting rotation even thinner. With Reynaldo Lopez and AJ Smith-Shawver already out, the unit’s depth will be tested in the coming months. The remaining group consists of Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder, with the last spot in flux. 20-year-old Didier Fuentes, who was called up for a spot start Friday, is a candidate to replace Sale in the short term. However, that probably won’t cut it for a team whose season is slipping off the tracks.
Main Photo Credits: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
