Sale (2-0) allowed one run on one hit over six innings Wednesday to record the win as Atlanta downed the A's 5-1. He struck out three without walking a batter.
Shea Langeliers' solo shot in the fourth inning ended up being the only runner to reach base on Sale over 79 pitches (57 strikes). The veteran southpaw has been brilliant to begin the season, delivering two straight quality start with a 0.75 ERA, 0.58 WHIP and 9:3 K:BB in 12 innings. Sale will look to keep rolling in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week against the Angels.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Blanks KC for first win
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Sale (1-0) picked up the win in Friday's 6-0 shutout of the Royals, giving up three hits and three walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out six.
The veteran southpaw was dominant to kick off the 2026 campaign, firing 54 of 88 pitches for strikes while not allowing an extra-base hit. Sale has yet to make 30 starts in a season for Atlanta, taking the mound 50 total times in his two years with the club, but the results when he's been available have been generally outstanding -- he's delivered a 2.46 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 390:71 K:BB in 303.1 innings. Sale will look to keep rolling at home against the A's next week in his next scheduled start.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Named Opening Day starter
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Sale has officially been named Atlanta's Opening Day starter, Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Sale will make his seventh career Opening Day start and his second straight in Atlanta. The soon-to-be 37-year-old will face the Royals. Sale has had back-to-back stellar seasons, posting a 2.38 ERA in 2024 and a 2.58 ERA in 2025.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Just about ready for Opening Day
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Sale allowed one run on five hits over six innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Rays. He struck out three without walking a batter.
The veteran southpaw built up to 75 pitches (53 strikes) in a sharp performance against a Tampa Bay lineup that lacked most of the team's big names. Sale has a 3.29 ERA and 11:2 K:BB through 13.2 innings this spring, and he looks just about ready for the beginning of the season. While new manager Walt Weiss has yet to announce who Atlanta's Opening Day starter will be, Sale remains the favorite to get the assignment.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Inks extension
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Sale agreed to a one-year, $27 million contract extension with Atlanta on Tuesday that includes a club option for $30 million in 2028, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Sale was set to hit free agency after the season but will get some extra security with this deal. His fastball was up to 96 mph in his first spring action Sunday as he logged two scoreless innings.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Humming to begin spring
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Sale topped out at 96 mph with his fastball in his first game action of the spring Sunday, allowing two hits and striking out three over two scoreless innings against the Twins, Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
The veteran southpaw tossed 37 pitches and fired first-pitch strikes to all eight batters he faced, and Sale even had to make a tough defensive play on a Trevor Larnach chopper. After he missed significant time last summer due to a rib fracture, it was a very encouraging performance from Sale to begin his spring. In two seasons with Atlanta, he's averaged 151.2 innings with a 2.46 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 11.6 K/9.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Atlanta picks up $18 million option
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Atlanta exercised Sale's $18 million option for 2026 on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
The decision was fait accompli, as Sale has re-emerged as one of the best pitchers in baseball since joining Atlanta, collecting a 2.46 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 390:71 K:BB over 303.1 innings since the beginning of the 2024 campaign. Sale missed more than two months of action this season with a left ribcage fracture, but he finished the year healthy and was superb after returning from the injury with a 2.72 ERA and 51:6 K:BB over his final 36.1 frames. The veteran lefty will turn 37 just after Opening Day next season.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Sharp in bulk relief
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Sale (7-5) allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out nine over 5.2 innings to earn the win over the Pirates on Sunday.
Charlie Morton got his Atlanta curtain call with 1.1 scoreless innings to open the game before Sale took over. Sale was pitching with a lead the entire time, and the lone run he allowed was on a Joey Bart single in the sixth inning. Sale gave up just 11 runs over 36.1 innings across six appearances after returning from a fractured ribcage. For the season, the southpaw ended up with a 2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 165:32 K:BB through 125.2 innings across 21 appearances (20 starts), showing that he can still pitch at an elite level at age 36. Atlanta has an $18 million team option to keep Sale around for the 2026 season if it so chooses.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Will pitch in bulk relief Sunday
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Sale will be used as a bulk reliever in Sunday's game against the Pirates, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Atlanta will use Charlie Morton as an opener in his final career appearance before Sale takes over. It will be the first relief outing for Sale since he closed out the 2018 World Series as a member of the Red Sox. While it will be unconventional usage for the lefty, Sale will have a better chance to pick up a win as a bulk reliever, and he should be available for a typical starter's workload.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Allows five runs in sixth win
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Sale (6-5) earned the win Monday, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks over five innings in a 11-5 win over Washington. He struck out six.
Sale wasn't at his best Monday, giving up five runs for the first time since April 8. Despite missing time midseason with a fractured ribcage, the 36-year-old has generally been excellent when healthy, posting a 2.63 ERA and 1.07 WHIP across 20 starts and 120 innings. He's currently lined up to pitch Atlanta's season finale Sunday, though the team could decide Monday's outing was the lanky left-hander's last of 2025 and turn to another arm.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Dominates in no-decision
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Sale came away with a no-decision in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Nationals, scattering three hits over eight scoreless innings. He struck out nine without walking a batter.
The ace southpaw racked up 32 called or swinging strikes over 106 pitches (71 total strikes) in a dominant performance, but MacKenzie Gore and the Washington bullpen matched Sale goose egg for goose egg, until Atlanta finally broke through for five runs in the 10th inning. Sale has fanned exactly nine batters in four straight starts since returning from a rib injury, posting a 1.75 ERA, 0.74 WHIP and 36:2 K:BB through 25.2 innings. He'll look to finish out the season in style with a potential two-step, beginning early next week with a home rematch against the Nats.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Piles up nine more Ks in fifth loss
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Sale (5-5) was charged with the loss Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out nine.
Sale continues to rack up the strikeouts, as he's now fanned nine in three consecutive outings since coming off the injured list. The three runs allowed were his most since his April 13 start in Tampa Bay, but the All-Star southpaw has registered at least seven punchouts in 11 of his last 12 appearances dating back to the end of April. On the year, he has a stellar 2.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 141:28 K:BB across 107 frames. Sale is next slated to face the division-rival Nationals, who have a paltry .574 OPS against left-handed pitching since the All-Star break.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Fans nine, settles for no-decision
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Sale didn't factor into the decision against the Mariners on Friday, allowing one run on four hits while striking out nine over 6.2 innings. He did not issue a walk.
Sale was sharp Friday, recording his second straight quality start since returning from a two-month absence. The southpaw's only trouble came in the third inning, when he allowed a double and hit Randy Arozarena with a pitch to put two runners on for the MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh, but Sale escaped unscathed as Raleigh popped out. From there, Sale settled in and cruised until the seventh, when he was pulled shortly after giving up a base hit that would come around to score. The performance continued the 36-year-old's strong return, as he's now looked dominant in both outings back in Atlanta's rotation.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Stellar in return
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Sale did not factor into the decision in Saturday's 3-2 extra-inning loss to the Phillies, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over six innings.
Sale needed just 78 pitches to log a quality start in his first outing in over two months, with a solo homer in the third inning being his only mistake. The veteran southpaw generated 15 swinging strikes and has now yielded two earned runs or fewer in 12 straight contests dating back to April 19. He'll take a 2.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 123:27 K:BB across 95.1 innings into a home matchup with the Mariners next weekend.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Activated for start
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Atlanta reinstated Sale (ribs) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start Saturday against the Phillies.
Sale made three rehab starts after landing on the injured list in late June with a fractured ribcage, posting a 2.53 ERA and 1.22 WHIP alongside an 11:3 K:BB through 10.2 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett. Now fully healthy, he'll be welcomed back to MLB action by the Phillies, against whom he tossed six shutout innings when he last faced them in late May. The veteran lefty reached just 77 pitches in his final rehab outing, however, so there's a chance Atlanta will limit his workload during his first start back from the IL. Nathan Wiles was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Expected to return next week
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Sale (ribcage) is expected to be activated from the 60-day injured list to make a start for Atlanta during next week's series in Philadelphia that begins Thursday, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
Sale made was likely his third and final rehab start Saturday, tossing 4.2 innings and allowing one run on four hits and zero walks with five strikeouts for Triple-A Gwinnett. He threw 77 pitches in the outing, so he could be operating with some light workload restrictions when he makes his return to the Atlanta rotation. Before landing on the shelf June 21 due to a left ribcage fracture, Sale went 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 114:26 K:BB across 89.1 innings for Atlanta.
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Braves' Chris Sale: One more rehab start on tap
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Sale (ribcage) will make one more rehab start at Double-A Columbus on Saturday before rejoining the Atlanta rotation, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.
Sale went four innings and threw 56 pitches in his second rehab outing Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, so it's not a surprise the club wants him to make one more rehab start. According to Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta is targeting Sale for roughly 75 pitches during his upcoming start with Columbus. As long as all goes well during that rehab outing, Sale will return from the 60-day injured list to make his next start with Atlanta as soon as Aug. 28 in Philadelphia. Sale has been on the shelf since June 21 due to a left ribcage fracture.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Second rehab start coming Sunday
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Sale (ribcage) will make his second rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Gwinnett, and Atlanta could shift to a six-man rotation once he's activated from the 60-day injured list, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
After designating Carlos Carrasco for assignment Thursday to make room in the rotation for rookie Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta is currently running with a standard five-man rotation. Moving to a six-man setup for the final month-plus of the season would help manage the workloads of Waldrep, Sale and Spencer Strider, especially considering the team has only two off days in September. After his upcoming outing Sunday, Sale is likely to make another start after that to get further stretched out before slotting back into the Atlanta rotation. The veteran southpaw has been on the shelf since June 21 due to a fractured left ribcage.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Two innings in rehab start
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Sale (ribs) was charged with one run over two innings of work in his first rehab start with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday.
Sale permitted three hits and two walks while recording a pair of strikeouts, throwing 40 pitches over his two frames. The left-hander averaged 93.9 mph with his four-seamer, which is down one tick from his season average. Per Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sale is likely to make two more rehab starts before rejoining the big-league rotation.
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Braves' Chris Sale: Will need at least two rehab starts
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Sale (ribs) will begin a rehab assignment next week and may need only two starts before rejoining the big-league rotation, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
"Today was a good box to check after kind of a long layoff," Sale said Thursday after throwing 30 pitches in a simulated game. "When you go through something like this, the most important thing is feeling good afterwards. And I was able to throw a lot of strikes, too. So, we'll see what tomorrow brings and go from there." The veteran southpaw has been sidelined since June 18 due to a rib injury, but he appears on track to be back before the end of the month.
