Chris Sale and the Red Sox can breathe a sigh of relief as the left-hander received encouraging news regarding his elbow injury on Monday.
After getting a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, it was revealed Sale has elbow inflammation but will not need Tommy John surgery, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale does not need Tommy John surgery, sources tell ESPN. A follow-up today with Dr. James Andrews confirmed the diagnosis of elbow inflammation. His return date is unclear, but for Boston, this is excellent news.
Story at ESPN: https://t.co/EZZrKY2Hn0 — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 19, 2019
Although Sale's return date still is unknown, this is phenomenal news for the Red Sox considering they committed to their ace with a five-year, $145 million contract extension before the season.
Sale is in the midst of the worst statistical season of his career, posting a 6-11 record and 4.40 ERA in 25 starts. Still, it'll be even tougher for Boston to sneak into the postseason without Sale in the rotation as it currently sits 6.5 games behind in the American League wild-card race.
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