On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox confirmed that starting pitcher Chris Sale suffered a hand injury during a bike accident on Saturday, that will ultimately close the door on the left-hander’s 2022 season.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora spoke with media members prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park, as reported by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.
“I was like, ‘Come on,'” Cora said. “He’s getting to a point, he’s not giving up, but this is life… It’s just another obstacle of his career.”
Sale, who only made two starts this season, continues to encounter an ongoing battle of setbacks that have delayed much of his Red Sox tenure. The 12-year veteran southpaw has endured a 60-day injured list stint in 2019, Tommy John surgery alongside COVID-19 in 2020, and the latest, 2022 which began with a 60-day injured list stint starting in spring training and another following his latest injury — ending his season.
Sale has made over 30 starts just once since his arrival to Boston in 2017, making 32 in his debut season with the Red Sox. His start total hasn’t hit the double-digit mark since 2019 when the 33-year-old made 25 starts.
The Red Sox also endure a setback of their own, now forced to adapt amid a tight American League wild card race with the season’s end approaching.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, also offered his words to reporters on Tuesday.
