Boston Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale broke his right wrist in a biking accident last week and underwent surgery on Monday, meaning he will miss the rest of the season, the team announced. ending his year after a slew of injuries and only 5⅔ innings pitched.
Sale, 33, had already missed most of the season after suffering a broken rib cage while training in lockdown which sidelined him until July 12. After a scoreless start in 2022, Sale left his second start after two-thirds of an inning when a line drive by New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks fractured the little finger on his pitching hand.
Sale, a seven-time All-Star, had hoped to return in September after finger surgery. He is in the third year of a five-year, $145 million contract extension in which he pitched a total of 48⅓ innings. Sale missed the 2020 season after Tommy John surgery and returned last year for nine starts, when he went 5-1 with a 3.16 ERA.
Open reduction internal fixation surgery, which uses specialized equipment to straighten a broken bone, stabilized Sale’s wrist and will take two months to heal. The Red Sox, who are 54-56 last in the AL East, rank 22nd in ERA and in innings pitched by their starters this season.
Acquired in a mega-trade that sent third baseman Yoan Moncada, right-hander Michael Kopech and two other minor leaguers to the Chicago White Sox in December 2016, Sale was the Red Sox’ elite when he was on the mound, recording last in the 2018 World Series and posting a 3.09 ERA with 820 strikeouts and 127 walks in 568 regular season innings.
Sale can opt out of the last two years and $55 million from his contract this winter. He should be ready for the start of spring training in 2023.
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