Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale, a leading contender for the National League Cy Young Award, will miss the Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres due to back issues. He was pulled from the last game of the regular season, a makeup doubleheader against the New York Mets, just before it began on Monday.
Manager Brian Snitker confirmed that the Braves will be without their top starter for the best-of-three series starting Tuesday. They will reassess Sale’s condition if they advance to the Division Series.
“He wants to step up,” Snitker said. “We’re hopeful that with some additional rest, we can get him ready for the next round.”
Grant Holmes, a less experienced pitcher, took Chris Sale’s place in the game against the Mets, throwing four innings and allowing just one hit, helping the Braves secure a 3-0 victory and a wild-card spot.
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Mets also made the playoffs with an exciting 8-7 win, while the defending NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks were eliminated.
All three teams finished the season with a record of 89-73, but the Braves and Mets secured tiebreakers over the Diamondbacks based on their season series results.
Snitker noted that Chris Sale (18-3, 2.38 ERA) has dealt with back issues throughout the season, but the condition worsened after his last start against Cincinnati on September 19, when he experienced a drop in velocity.
“I think he felt it in Cincinnati, but it’s something he’s had on and off all year,” Snitker explained. “He knows how to manage it.”
Chris Sale was originally scheduled to pitch last Wednesday against the Mets, but the game was postponed due to rain. His start kept getting delayed as Snitker aimed to conserve him for a crucial game. General manager Alex Anthopoulos mentioned that the latest back spasms surfaced only after a throwing session on Sunday.
