Chris Sale Passes Major Test in Recovery, Reflects on Rehab

Chris Sale impressed in his live batting practice on Thursday with another step expected to come

Sale's checking off every box of his rehab | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Chris Sale passed a major test in his efforts to get back on the mound for the Atlanta Braves on Thursday. He had his awaited live batting practice in the mid-afternoon, throwing 30 pitches over two simulated “innings.”

In between those innings, he sat in the dugout to simulate the other half of the inning and then when back out there.  

Both he and manager Brian Snitker were satisfied with how the outing went.

“The most important thing is feeling good afterwards, and I was able to throw strikes too,” Sale said.

Along with feeling good, other boxes that were checked off such as mechanics were sound.

Snitker said after the session that if all looks good still on Friday, then the next step is likely a rehab assignment. He’s eligible to be activated on Aug. 19, so a couple rehab starts with Triple-A Gwinnett can be fit in before then.

He’s impressively already at this point despite only beginning to ramp back up a couple weeks ago. He had to wait until the pain fully subsided over four weeks before he started playing catch.

For the first two weeks, he said the pain felt like it was never ending. After the third week, he got first signs that it was starting to feel it was getting better.

“Every day since then, it just got a little bit better, a little bit better, a little bit better,” Sale said.

He had long toss, throwing up 150 feet.

Sale has been out since mid-June with two fractured ribs. He said they were the sixth and seventh rib and he pointed to his left side when describing it.

He didn’t necessarily have regrets for diving for the ball in the ninth inning, but also jokingly said that he’d led second baseman Ozzie Albies get it next time around.

Many, mainly fans online, have been making a case that he should just sit out the season. Snitker has made the case against it before, but Sale took it a step further. Sure, there’s the aspect of the normal offseason, but the more he pitches now, the less he has to ramp up next year.

“It would be hard to push toward that 200-inning mark next year,” he said. “So, I think to being able to get some innings under my belt this year is going to protect me for next year.”

Sale has a 2.52 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and 114 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings in 15 starts this year.