Sale to undergo Tommy John surgery
Chris Sale will undergo Tommy John surgery, the Boston Red Sox announced Thursday.
A date for the surgery has not been set, though the team expects it to take place in "the fairly near future," Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.
Sale, who will turn 31 on March 30, had an MRI on his throwing arm in early March due to elbow soreness. The results were sent to Dr. James Andrews. However, after results were reviewed by both Andrews and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the team expressed optimism that Sale would not need to undergo surgery, with both doctors suggesting rest and rehab.
On March 11, Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke told reporters that Sale wouldn't throw until he was "absolutely pain free."
Sale did some light throwing Friday and Sunday, Bloom said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. But while playing catch on the field Tuesday, he experienced significant pain; once that happened, it was "fairly clear" to Bloom that Sale would need the surgery, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.
What changed since Satle was diagnosed with flexor strain and told he didn't need TJ? Bloom: "Imaging isn't a perfect solution." Given Sale's history, conclusion was if he felt pain when resuming throwing, surgery would be next option.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) March 19, 2020
The seven-time All-Star fell shy of the 150-inning plateau last year for the first time since becoming a full-time starter in 2012. Making 25 starts in 2019, Sale authored a 4.40 ERA and 3.39 FIP over 147 1/3 innings.