It's been all downhill for Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox since the left-hander signed his contract extension a year ago.

The Red Sox announced Thursday that Sale will undergo ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery (Tommy John) on his left elbow. The same elbow Sale has had issues with since he was shut down last August.

But even before then, Sale's five-year, $145 million deal seemed regrettable. The 30-year-old has declined in several pitching metrics, including ERA, WHIP, and HR/9, since August 12, 2018.

Here are the numbers from the first 55 starts of Sale's Red Sox career compared to his last 29:

Chris Sale with Red Sox

First 55 GS vs. Last 29 GS
360.1 IP 159.1
6.55 IP/GS 5.49
2.52 ERA 4.35
0.92 WHIP 1.08
0.85 HR/9 1.41

Going to need Sale version on the left#TheStatsCorner pic.twitter.com/RNgIvXgSX8

— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) March 2, 2020

On top of that, Sale has regressed in strike percentage (68.4 to 66.3), innings pitched per start (6.55 to 5.49), batting average against (.195 to .223), and OPS against (.569 to .694).

Sale will miss the entirety of the 2020 MLB season if and when it resumes, and he'll likely miss a few months of the 2021 campaign as well.

Without Sale, the Red Sox rotation currently consists of Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez and likely Ryan Weber.

• Tomase: It's official - the Red Sox screwed up Sale's injury

The NHL has announced a return-to-play strategy. The NBA could announce its plan as soon as Thursday after a Board of Governors vote.

And then there's Major League Baseball.

Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App

MLB's first proposal was quickly shot down by the Players' Association, which submitted its own plan over the weekend. That's also expected to be immediately dismissed. And as the days tick by, the hopes for a 2020 season get dimmer. While there's still time to salvage a season, the lack of productive dialogue between the league and the MLBPA is getting discouraging.

• Tomase: Bobby Bonilla Day could save MLB season

Speaking on NBC Sports Network's "Lunch Talk Live" on Monday afternoon, Pedro Martinez voiced his frustration with the stalemate.

"I'm hoping that both sides actually stop thinking about their own good and start thinking about the fans," Martinez said. "I think this is a perfect time to have their baseball teams out there and try to have the people forget a little bit about what's going on. It's not only the pandemic, it's everything that's going on. People need something to actually do and find a way to relax. I hope that the Players' Association and MLB realize how important it is to bring some sort of relief to people."

Martinez is spot-on with the sentiment that sports returning would be a welcome respite from the news right now. But getting players back on the field is proving to be complicated, especially as the sides navigate the financials of a shorter season without revenue from tickets.

"The economics is the dark part of baseball. The business part of baseball is dirty. It's dark," Martinez told Tirico. "And I hope that they take into consideration who pays our salaries, what the people do for us, how important the people are, and forget about or at least bend your arm a little bit to find a middle ground for the negotiations.

Let's not be selfish about it. Let's think about the fans, let's think about the families that are home that want to at least watch a baseball game and distract themselves from all the things that are going on.

Ongoing disputes over money are reflecting horribly on the sport, and cancelling the entire 2020 season could do irreperable harm to a sport that has seen its popularity ebb in recent years.

Fans can only hope that the sides take Pedro's advice, and find some common ground — and do it quickly. 

• Ever Wonder: How did Green Monster's distance change?

One of the most entertaining players ever to don a Boston Red Sox uniform was born 48 years ago today.

That would be Manny Ramirez, who celebrates his birthday on May 30. In honor of the special occasion, Major League Baseball tweeted an awesome video that includes some of Ramirez's greatest moments:

Watch below:

Manny being Manny. 😂@therealmanny99 turns 48 today! pic.twitter.com/XMoLkI8C7I

— MLB (@MLB) May 30, 2020

That cutoff of Johnny Damon's throw never gets old.

Get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App

Ramirez joined the Red Sox in 2001 after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Cleveland Indians. From there, he became a key contributor to two World Series titles (2004 and 2007) and furthered his legacy as one of the best right-handed hitters of all time.

He isn't done yet, either. Ramirez announced just a couple of months ago he is hoping to find a roster spot in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League. More "Manny Being Manny"? That sounds great to us.

We wish a very happy birthday to one of the greatest (and most interesting) players in Red Sox history.

• Tomase: Why did the Green Monster's distance change?