Chris Sale to miss season after bike accident

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale will miss the rest of the 2022 season after breaking his wrist in a bike accident, it was announced today.

This is just the latest misadventure for Sale, who was one of the best pitchers in baseball through the 2018 season, and since then has seen things go sideways. Sale put up a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts in 2019 before having his season cut short due to elbow inflammation. He ended up undergoing Tommy John surgery in March, 2020, missing all of that season and much of 2021. Sale ended up making nine regular season and three postseason starts for Boston in 2021.

Sale started the 2022 season on the injured list due to a stress fracture in his hip. He made it back to action in the majors in July, but then went back on the injured list after his finger was broken in his second start on a comebacker. Sale played catch on Friday, and it was hoped he would be back this year, but then broke his wrist on Saturday in a bicycle accident that required surgery.

Boston is in last place in the American League East, 4.5 games back of a playoff spot, and losing Sale for the year won’t help their chances of getting back in the race.

Sale is in the third year of a five year, $145M extension he signed prior to the 2019 season, covering 2020-24.