Red Sox Ace Chris Sale Will Start Regular Season on Injured List
By Karl Rasmussen
The New York Yankees were dealt a myriad of blows over the past few days, losing the likes of Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino to injury. Well, they weren't the only AL East team to receive some bad news this week.
Boston Red Sox interim skipper Ron Roenicke revealed Thursday morning that Chris Sale will be starting the season on the injured list.
Roenicke says Sale will be on injured list to start season. Says he’s about 2 weeks behind.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) February 27, 2020
According to Roenicke, Sale, who had been battling pneumonia as well as the flu, is about two weeks behind in his recovery, and will thus be unable to take the mound for Opening Day.
The Sox clearly want to play it safe with Sale, so the organization seems to be in no rush to get him back on the mound until he's fully healthy. It's worth noting that the lefty, though typically slim, looked particularly skinny in photos from camp.
Sale is coming off a disappointing 2019 campaign that saw the southpaw record a career worst 4.40 ERA across 25 starts. His season ended in August after he received an elbow injection, though he was able to avoid Tommy John surgery.
Fortunately for the Sox, this IL trip isn't as much injury related as it is getting back to full strength after being weakened by an illness.
Chris Sale won't pitch Opening Day, says Roenicke. Likely to start season on the IL. To be clear, he is not injured. He is ramping back up after being sidelined with flu and pneumonia at the start of camp. Roenicke didn't say who will start OD but it has to be Eduardo Rodriguez.
— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) February 27, 2020
Sale was anticipated to be the Red Sox's Opening Day starter, but this latest blip will make that an impossibility. Roenicke has yet to name a replacement, though MLB insider Ian Browne floated Eduardo Rodriguez as the likely next man up.