2:20 p.m.: The Red Sox announced to reporters, including MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, that Sale’s little finger is broken. “Fracture of the left fifth toe” was the official diagnosis. There is no word yet on his expected absence.
1:45 p.m.: Red Sox starter Chris Sale left today’s game after recording just two outs as Aaron Hicks’ returner hit his arm and appeared to injure it. Although the extent of the injury will not be known until tests are carried out, the telecast showed obvious damage to the arm, with Sale immediately leaving the field without hesitation. (Video link to Twitter from early 9.)
Making it even more frustrating for the Red Sox, this was just Sale’s second start of the year. He missed the first few months of the season with a stress fracture in his ribcage. After months of rehab and getting back into game shape, he now had the unbelievably bad luck of being hit on the arm and suffering yet another injury. The lefty also underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020, missing all of that season and most of the 2021 campaign. Overall, he has thrown fewer than 50 innings since the end of the 2019 campaign.
The timing of the injury is troubling for the Red Sox, who have been dealing with a number of rotation issues of late. Nathan Eovaldi just returned after being out for over a month, but Rich Hill, Michael Wacha, Connor Seibold and Josh Winkowski have all landed on the IL in the past few weeks. The All-Star break starts tomorrow, giving the club a few days to clear things up. But if Sale were to miss time, they would be reduced to a rotation of Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford.
After the break, the Red Sox have played 17 straight days, which means they will certainly need reinforcements. Hill and Wacha are progressing but won’t be ready after the break, reports Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Garrett Whitlock has made nine starts for the club this year, but has been working out of the bullpen since returning from his own stint in IL. The club could consider moving him back into the rotation, though he would need to bulk up for such a task. Prospect Brayan Bello made two starts at the big league level recently, but was rocked to a 10.13 ERA and optioned back to the minors. There’s also James Paxton, who was signed in the offseason knowing he wouldn’t be available until the second half of the season due to Tommy John surgery last year. However, he has yet to begin a rehab assignment and is likely to be weeks away from returning.
Of course, Boston could also look for outside additions as the Aug. 2 trade deadline is just over two weeks away. Despite mounting injuries in the rotation, the club entered today’s game at 48-44, just one game behind the Blue Jays for a playoff spot. (Although the Jays have since beaten the Royals, moving up a half game.) Some of the top players believed to be on the market include Luis Castillo, Tyler Male and Frankie Montas, among others. The Red Sox will have plenty of competition in those markets, however, as most contenders look for additional arms this time of year.
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