White Sox: Chris Sale will pitch in All-Star Game after all

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Chris Sale will pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, American League manager Ned Yost said after conferring with White Sox manager Robin Ventura.

"I'm going to pitch him; I've talked to Robin," Yost said on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike on Monday. "We're OK. He's definitely going to pitch in the game."

Yost said Sale will throw one inning in Tuesday's game.

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On Sunday, Ventura said he'd prefer if his ace left-hander didn't make an appearance in his fourth consecutive All-Star Game. Sale has thrown 108 or more pitches in each of his last 13 starts -- a heavy workload, but one Sale feels he's managed well.

"I feel fine," Sale said Sunday. "I would say I probably feel as good as I ever have. I’ve done a lot this year to be ready for my starts and on those in between days."

The White Sox open the second half with four games against Yost's Royals, with Sale or Carlos Rodon starting the series finale on Sunday. Sale's availability for Sunday could depend on if and how he's used in the All-Star Game.

"If it were up to me, quite frankly, I'd probably pitch Chris six or seven innings because we open up with them," Yost joked. "But I don't think I could get away with that."

Sale has been the White Sox best player in 2015, racking up a league-leading 157 strikeouts with a 2.72 ERA. While the White Sox, despite the 26-year-old's dominance, are only 11-6 in Sale's 17 starts he'll be a big part of whatever chances the White Sox have to climb their way back into the AL playoff race over the coming months.

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With that in mind, Ventura didn't want Sale to throw on Sunday, but after talking to Yost his opposition has cooled. 

"We get a pretty good parameter of what they want us to do, and we just kind of abide by it," Yost said. "I think it's important. If I sent one of my pitchers to an All-Star team and I say, 'OK, this is what I'd like you to do: Go ahead and use him but don't abuse him.' I would expect them to do it, and I'm going to do the same thing.

"I'm going to respect each organization. I'm going to respect each pitcher and make sure we don't do anything over the top."

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