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Chris Sale’s injury will linger into the MLB postseason.
Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters that he “does not expect” Sale to pitch in the team’s NL Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Sale was scratched from his Monday start due to back spasms. This came in a game that the Braves had to win in order to reach the postseason.
Sale could take home his first-ever Cy Young this season. He went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 177.2 innings. He struck out 225 batters and completed his first healthy season since 2019.
Unfortunately, it looks like the injury bug that has given him issues in recent seasons is flaring up at the wrong time. His last start came on Sept. 19 and Monday was his second consecutive missed start.
The Braves will hope that they can advance into the NLDS and give the southpaw a chance to return for a series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. To do that, the team will need to head to San Diego and take down a tough Padres team.
Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series is set for Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.