The Real Reason Chris Sale Isn't Playing This Season


Chris Sale, the left-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, was declared out for the rest of the MLB season in mid-August 2022.

[{"selector":"#anim-8a20f8b6-9a0e-4b9d-9784-9a5fbc03e11c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.257324105020174%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e49cebf3-7d36-4d8d-809d-80c306f2687f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e40e9d9-2a7a-45c3-8314-d7d7910c631d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 178.57619%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

According to ESPN, Sale had already recovered from a broken rib cage that had caused him to miss the majority of the 2022 MLB season earlier in the year.

[{"selector":"#anim-77a227a8-20c7-4977-9158-d2c451344beb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4d3befb8-aebb-469a-8870-7d50f6d6c63c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ea5e9c64-5e3e-419e-9aea-51a91b0ccb8c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 160.61212%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The season-ending injury Sales has now suffered is not to his throwing hand, but it will necessitate surgery

[{"selector":"#anim-2252447e-4912-485d-8d6a-a70ee09eb715 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.09374990348149%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-80d322a9-06ad-4c8e-a559-1dab45dff3e1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a7a9324-149e-4011-8240-e4bb51eb4ce5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 237.36477%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

and it occurred while Sales was not even on the baseball diamond.

[{"selector":"#anim-1f9cd382-7a2d-46d6-b754-29789d07d02e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(15.01300784949429%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3e2a457-3f5e-4569-847e-ca7a16b70c64","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2ec9d444-1184-4eed-ae5e-576a5894bc4d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 286.46232%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Despite being a finalist on several occasions, Sale has yet to win the prestigious Cy Young Award for baseball pitchers

[{"selector":"#anim-121e79c7-c665-4f56-a035-be6c0383380a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.305245440479126%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a3ab3f7e-05b7-4171-aa12-88908fedf8ca","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4e9160f9-0d2d-49b8-8e8c-e6499494f636","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 202.31812%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The star pitcher's string of injuries in the 2022 season prompted the New York Post to speculate that Sale was cursed.

[{"selector":"#anim-535a8bb1-3172-4885-abcc-5f66ce73ef4d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(38.82507319139306%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e7798a51-f6e3-497f-b551-c5f8f367496e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-458aa198-a58b-4b92-9d40-f353862a1bb7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 180.73543%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]