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The Atlanta Braves are among the biggest disappointments in Major League Baseball this year as injuries have all but ruined what could have been another competitive season.
The team opened the year without superstars Ronald Acuna Jr. or Spencer Strider as they recovered from injuries, then it lost Reynaldo Lopez, AJ Smith-Shawver, Spencer Schwellenbach and several others to various injuries, plus Jurickson Profar was suspended. Now, after a brief and triumphant return from Acuna, he has been placed on the injured list once again with an Achilles problem.
In what has been a brutal season for the Braves, perhaps the injury to reigning Cy Young Award pitcher Chris Sale was the harshest. As one of the team’s only remaining effective starters, he went down with a fractured left rib in June. And now it seems he could be out for the rest of the year, after an update from manager Brian Snitker.
“By the way, Snitker said that all of the Braves’ rehabbing pitchers, including Sale, are still far from even starting rehab assignments,” The Athletic’s David O’Brien reported. “I’m not expecting any to pitch before September, if at all in this lost season.”
After he was transferred to the 60-day injured list, the earliest Sale could return would be in late August. O’Brien did note that Sale could demand at least one more start if he recovers in time. But given the likely futile nature of the Braves’ remaining games at that point, he might unofficially be done for the year.
That would be one of the biggest disappointments amid the season, as Sale demonstrated how effective he can still be when healthy last year and enjoyed an All-Star nod to start this campaign.
If Sale does sit out the rest of the year, though, the Braves can hope he will be a major part of their reset for next season. He has an $18 million club option ahead and it seems the Braves are going to exercise it, even if he can’t take the mound again this year.
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