Chris Sale Will Miss Start Of 2022 Season With Stress Fracture In Rib Cage
BOSTON (CBS) -- Just like last season, Chris Sale will begin the 2022 season on the Injured List. The Red Sox are hoping this year's stint on the IL will be much shorter.
Sale will miss Opening Day -- and likely beyond -- as he recovers from a stress fracture in his right rib cage, Boston Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom announced in Fort Myers on Wednesday. It will be a few weeks until Sale picks up a baseball again, according to Bloom.
"We're talking weeks, not days, until we can get a ball back in his hand," Bloom said from the Red Sox' Spring Training facilities. "The build up shouldn't be too long before we can get him back."
The injury occurred while Sale was working out at his alma mater, Florida Gulf Coast University, during the MLB lockout. It happened during a promising batting practice session for Sale, who said the pain got progressively worse in the days that followed. Because of the lockout, he wasn't able to tell the Red Sox about the injury until the new CBA was agreed upon.
Sale said that his rib is still tender and he's in incredible pain whenever he coughs or sneezes.
"Sneezing – I've found some very unique ways to get those out," he said. "If I were to sneeze or cough right now, it would be really uncomfortable."
He's not sure how long his recovery will take, and at this point all he can do is rest. He pointed out that it typically takes 6-8 weeks for bones to heal. It's a discouraging setback because the lefty said he worked hard to be in the best shape he's been in at this point in the year.
"I built a badass race car and it broke down before the race started. Now I'm back in the garage trying to fix it up," said Sale. "It sucks. Got more teammates picking up the slack and I'm getting paid to do nothing. That sucks."
But he has overcome bigger hurdles before, and is not going to let this injury derail his 2022 season.
"You can do it, or you can complain about it and still do it. It still has to get done either way," he said of his recovery. "Does it suck? Yes. Was I discouraged, pissed off? Absolutely. But none of those emotions or wasted energy is going to help me help this. I have work to do."
Sale's injury is not the best news for a Red Sox rotation that has plenty of question marks heading into the 2022 season. The team is down an ace after Eduardo Rodriguez signed with the Detroit Tigers ahead of the lockout, and at the moment, Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta and Rich Hill are the only sure starters on the team. Michael Wacha, Tanner Houck and Connor Seabold are candidates to make up the back end of Boston's razor thin rotation to start the year.
Sale, who will turn 33 at the end of the month, didn't make his 2021 debut until mid-August as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. He went 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA over his nine regular season starts, but struggled mightily in the playoffs, sporting a 6.35 ERA in his three October starts.
