The Red Sox announced on Monday that starter Chris Sale saw Dr. James Andrews, who confirmed the lefty is dealing with inflammation in his pitching elbow. Sale received a platelet-rich plasma injection and has been shut down from throwing. He will be reevaluated in six weeks.
Six weeks takes us to the day after the end of the regular season, so Sale is effectively done for the year. The Red Sox are 16.0 games out of first place in the AL East, but are 6.5 games out of the second Wild Card. Even if the Red Sox got into the playoffs as a Wild Card, Sale would need to build his stamina back up so he likely wouldn’t be available in the ALDS at the very least.
Sale, 30, went 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA and a 218/37 K/BB ratio in 147 1/3 innings across 25 starts this year. His five-year, $145 million contract extension will begin next year.