It's been a hell of a few months for the Red Sox.
Alex Cora is out, the team is being investigated by MLB, Mookie Betts is in a Dodgers uniform (and so is David Price) and now Chris Sale is out while he deals with elbow soreness.
It's unfortunate, but at this point, the Injured List isn't a foreign concept to the lanky lefty. Sale spent time on the IL in September 2019 after dealing with a balky left elbow which ended his season prematurely and in 2018, Sale battled through a shoulder injury that nearly ended his season.
This injury is a serious toe-stub for the Red Sox. Already without David Price, whom they traded (read as: "salary-dumped") this offseason as part of the Mookie Betts deal, Boston now has a rotation that features two locks: Eduardo Rodriguez and oft-injured Nathan Eovaldi, who is coming off an injury-riddled 2019 season himself.
Here's everything you need to know about Sale's current injury situation.
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How long will Chris Sale be out?
The Red Sox announced on March 3 that Chris Sale underwent an MRI and the results would be sent to Dr. James Andrews. Red Sox interim manager Ron Roenicke told reports on Wednesday, March 4 that Sale was seeking additional opinions on his elbow, including one from Dr. Neil Elattrache.
Ron Roenicke on Chris Sale: Red Sox waiting for one more opinion from Dr. Neal Elattrache. “We need to get this right.”
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) March 4, 2020
On March 5, it was revealed that Sale was dealing with a flexor strain and that his UCL was the same as "the last image," per Roenicke.
Roenicke said they have all information from doctors on Sale. He has a flexor strain. UCL is same as last image. They've advised him to wait another week before he starts throwing again. Will start playing catch and if things progress, they go to bullpens and live BPs.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) March 5, 2020
Chris Sale not expected to undergo Tommy John surgery at this point, source tells The Athletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 4, 2020
Chris Sale injury timeline
On March 5, Red Sox interim manager Ron Roenicke revealed that Sale has a flexor strain and that there's no change in the status of his left UCL. Sale is shut down for a week and should he progress, will begin to pitch bullpens and face live batters from then on.
On March 4, Ron Roenicke told reporters that Sale would seek additional opinions on his elbow. Later that day, Ken Rosenthal reported that the lefty wouldn't need Tommy John "at this point."
On Feb. 29, Sale threw a bullpen session vs. live batters, his first after dealing with a bout of pneumonia earlier in Spring Training. The next day, Sale complained of soreness in his left elbow. On March 3, it was announced that Sale would undergo an MRI and that the results would be sent to Dr. James Andrews.
In August 2019, Sale experienced left elbow inflammation. Then GM-Dave Dombrowski was unsure if Sale was going to pitch again in the 2019 season. It turns out his Aug. 13 start vs. the Indians would be his last of the year.
Sale would meet with famed sports doctor, Dr. James Andrews to discuss his next steps. Sale would avoid Tommy John injury in 2019, undergoing a platelet-rich injection and avoiding any kind of ligament damage. Sale said he would be a full participant in Spring Training this season.
Throughout the 2019 season, there was a noticeable dip in Sale's velocity. While he averaged 95 mph on his fastball in two prior seasons with the Red Sox (per Fangraphs), in 2019 he averaged just 93.7 mph on his four-seamer.
In August 2018, Sale dealt with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for a few weeks in August. He would return in September and help the Red Sox win the World Series that same season.
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Chris Sale injury updates
— March 4: Ron Roenicke announces that Sale would seek additional opinions on his elbow, hoping to align views from Red Sox team doctors and those outside the organization.
— March 3: Chris Sale goes for an MRI, and the results are sent to Dr. James Andrews.
— Feb. 29: Chris Sale throws a bullpen session vs. live batters for the first time during Spring Training.
