Braves Ace Chris Sale Recaps Sharp Start to Spring Training

NORTH PORT – The Atlanta Braves got their first look at the 2026 edition of Chris Sale on Sunday. The ace looked the part in his 2.0 innings of work, striking out the first two batters he faced with a lively fastball and wicked movement on his off-speed pitches. He finished with three strikeouts, two hits, and no walks.

Sale allowed a single hard-hit ball over his short period on the mound, while the other came on a choppy bouncer that skipped over his head and under the outstretched glove of Austin Riley. Overall, the starter came away pleased with how he performed in the small sample size.

“[It was] the first one in spring training, you never really know how it's gonna go. It's that first time facing guys that aren't on your team, kind of in a live game,” Sale said after the game. “Just happy with the work we got done today.”

The first couple of times out of the gate can be a bit of an unknown for pitchers, even those of Sale’s caliber. With the score not mattering at this point in the season, the starter was able to use his whole arsenal at various points in the count. He got what he needed out of the contest, throwing to batters out of the stretch, the windup, and with runners on base.

For Sale, the outing still delivered the butterflies that every new season brings.

“I think that's a kind of a telltale if you don't have that, it's time to go home,” he said. “I think that this is a game [where] you can't be relaxed. I don't care what the circumstances are. I don't care if it's a spring training game, if it's game one, game 120, or the last game of the year, being the World Series. If you don't have a little bit of nerves or the ‘want’ to be good, then it’s probably time to pack it up and take it to the house.”

The outing was a good return for Sale, who fractured his ribs last June. The injury cost him the majority of the second half of a once-promising season that could have seen him duplicate his Cy Young performance from 2025. Sale returned to the mound on August 30th, starting six games over the Braves’ final month of the year.

He wrapped his second season in Atlanta with a 7-5 record, 165 strikeouts (11.8 SO/9), and a 2.58 ERA over 20 starts (125.2 IP)

The 2026 season will be the first for Sale – and the rest of the Braves' rotation – under new pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.

“He's been great,” Sale said. “He's a big camaraderie guy. He really likes bringing a group together. [He’s] big on showing love to each other, positive stuff, you know? And that's important, especially when you're around each other as much as we are, you know, having good camaraderie and, you know, having each other's backs and picking each other up is important, so he's kind of taking the lead on that, and it's been great.

Atlanta lost to the Minnesota Twins 8-1 in their second game of Spring Training. They rolled a lineup that featured Ronald Acuña Jr. (RF), Drake Baldwin (C), Matt Olson (1B), Jurickson Profar (LF), Austin Riley (3B), Ozzie Albies (2B), Michael Harris II (CF), Aaron Schunk (DH), and Mauricio Dubón (SS).

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Manager Walt Weiss confirmed that Acuña would be holding onto the top spot in the lineup, a role he has held in Atlanta since 2018. Sale understands that having a guy like that leading off the game can be a problem for an opposing pitcher.

“I mean, you're talking about arguably one of the best hitters in the league, right out of the gate, and you know he's ready to swing,” Sale said. “He's not going up there trying to see anything. He's trying to do some damage. So, it's a lot of fun starting the game up with him.”

The Braves are back in action against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday afternoon at 1:05. Lefty prospect Garrett Baumann will get his first start of the spring on the mound.