Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale had to pull out of his start Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds (BOS 8, CIN 2) in the fourth inning due to left shoulder pain, the team announced. Sale was visited twice by the Red Sox team’s coach before leaving the game.
On Friday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed Sale will miss his next start, although the team is still awaiting his MRI results (per The Athletic). An injury list is likely.
“I hope for the best,” Cora told reporters after Thursday’s game (according to MLB.com). “Obviously it wasn’t looking good. The bike was down in the (fourth) inning. He went from 95 to 90. We’ll wait and see.”
Sale had 3 2/3 innings before his departure. He knocked out six batters and walked one while giving up a run on five hits. He threw a total of 59 throws, 40 of which were strikes. What It’s Worth, Sales Speed and its performance showed an upward trend through Thursday.
Sale, 34, has certainly struggled with some physical issues in recent seasons. He has missed more than 50 days in each of the last three seasons due to various illnesses, including recovering from surgery on Tommy John, a fractured rib and a fractured finger.
Sale has made 11 starts this season. In those performances, he had a 4.58 ERA (100 ERA+) and a 4.73 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In his four appearances in May, he had a 2.42 ERA and had 26 more strikeouts than walks in 26 innings.
The Red Sox, who go bottom on Friday with a 29-27 record in the American League East, have had an ever-changing rotation all year. In recent weeks, they’ve moved Nick Pivetta and Corey Kluber to the bullpen while also adding younger starters Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck.
Boston hosts first-placed Tampa Bay Rays for four games starting Friday. This series will include a double header on Saturday.