If there was ever a time for the Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale to land on the disabled list, this week was the worst possible time, ahead of a series with the New York Yankees, which begins on Thursday. Boston placed Sale on the 10-day DL on Tuesday due to shoulder inflammation. The news came right before Tuesday's Trade Deadline, and the Red Sox only added one starter via trade in Nathan Eovaldi from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Sale leads the American League with a 2.04 ERA, and leads all of baseball with 207 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched. The former Chicago White Sox hurler has been extra hot as of late, going 5-0 in his past six starts, and started the All-Star Game for the American League in that span. He has struck out at least nine in each of those six starts, and has not given up a run in his past three outings. The one bright side to this situation came when Dave Dombrowski said he expected this injury to be "more of a short-term type thing."
Sale was scheduled to start the series opener against the Yankees on Thursday night. Instead, it will be Brian Johnson getting the call in his spot, as the Red Sox currently hold a season-high six-game lead on their division rivals for the top spot in the AL East.
This roster move is retroactive to last Saturday, which means he could be eligible to return on August 7th against the Toronto Blue Jays. This is Sale's first stint on the disabled list since 2015 when he missed the start of the season with a fractured foot. He joins the injury list that currently includes the likes of Rafael Devers, who is on the DL with a hamstring injury, and Dustin Pedroia, who isn't expected back this season due to knee problems.
Sale leads the American League with a 2.04 ERA, and leads all of baseball with 207 strikeouts in 141 innings pitched. The former Chicago White Sox hurler has been extra hot as of late, going 5-0 in his past six starts, and started the All-Star Game for the American League in that span. He has struck out at least nine in each of those six starts, and has not given up a run in his past three outings. The one bright side to this situation came when Dave Dombrowski said he expected this injury to be "more of a short-term type thing."
Sale was scheduled to start the series opener against the Yankees on Thursday night. Instead, it will be Brian Johnson getting the call in his spot, as the Red Sox currently hold a season-high six-game lead on their division rivals for the top spot in the AL East.
This roster move is retroactive to last Saturday, which means he could be eligible to return on August 7th against the Toronto Blue Jays. This is Sale's first stint on the disabled list since 2015 when he missed the start of the season with a fractured foot. He joins the injury list that currently includes the likes of Rafael Devers, who is on the DL with a hamstring injury, and Dustin Pedroia, who isn't expected back this season due to knee problems.
