It was announced this afternoon that Red Sox ace Chris Sale would be placed back on the 10-Day disabled list with shoulder inflammation. Having recently come off the DL from the same injury, there is some worry for Red Sox fans.
Sale made his first start back from injury last Sunday against the Orioles in a 4-1 win for the Red Sox. Sale pitched five shutout innings, striking out 12 while only allowing one hit. The Florida native looked as if he had never been hurt at all in the outing against the Orioles, but that seemingly was not the case.
The Sox ace was expected to make a start this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays as the Sox have returned home to Fenway this weekend. Brandon Workman was recalled from the Pawtucket Red Sox to fill in his spot, and it may be likely that Drew Pomeranz returns to the starting rotation for the Boston Red Sox should Sale’s injury be serious.
Without knowing all of the details Alex Cora could simply be resting his ace, who has tended to run out of gas in September and the playoffs in past seasons. As Cora did state in the beginning of the season that he was going to work to preserve Sale’s dominance into the playoffs where the Sox will need him the most.
The Red Sox have managed without the Cy Young contender before, sweeping the New York Yankees in a four-game series without their ace, and continuing to dominate the MLB. Come September, the Red Sox face some challenges in the Atlanta Braves, Houston Astros, and two more series’ against the Yankees, so resting Sale may be the reason behind the DL placement.
With another DL stint, the left-hander may have truly lost his spot for the Cy Young award that has evaded him in years past. But having a 12-4 record along with a 1.97 ERA and an American League best (tied with Gerrit Cole) 219 strikeouts, he may still be in contention. The American League All-Star should be in the running for award for his dominance over the season, but two trips to the disabled list is not helping his cause.
