NEW YORK: Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox pitches in the eighth against the New York Yankees during Game Four American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 09, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The start of the baseball season has been pushed back until at least mid-May by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but the Boston Red Sox still suffered a loss Thursday.
Starting pitcher Chris Sale will undergo Tommy John surgery, the team announced in a press release.
The left-handed ace experienced soreness in the elbow of his throwing arm during batting practice earlier this month, raising questions about his status for the season.
Sale will be looking at a long recovery period after going under the knife and will likely miss the entire season, if there is one.
It's a big blow to a Red Sox rotation that also lost David Price, who was traded alongside Mookie Betts to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sale posted a 4.40 ERA through 147.1 IP last year, a down season, but still maintains a better strikeout rate than anyone in baseball history besides Yu Darvish of the Chicago Cubs.
