Braves' Chris Sale Talks Past Injury Issues, Says He Feels Like His 'Old Self'

Having had a normal offseason that didn't require injury rehab, Chris Sale is ready for a big season in 2024 with the Atlanta Braves.

Speaking to reporters from spring training, Sale said this is the most confident he's felt going into a season in six years and he still feels like his "old self."

The Braves acquired Sale from the Boston Red Sox for Vaughn Grissom. Boston also sent $17 million to Atlanta in the deal to cover a portion of Sale's $27.5 million salary in 2024.

Atlanta signed Sale to a two-year, $38 million contract after the trade, guaranteeing him almost $17 million more in present-day value than what was remaining on his deal with the Red Sox that contained deferred money.

Sale explained to Conor Ray of the Boston Globe in January why he decided to waive his no-trade clause to approve the deal.

"I felt like this was an opportunity to put me in a situation to help myself and put [the Red Sox] in a situation to help them, too," he said. "I felt like I kind of owed them something because the last few years haven't quite lived up to what I wanted to be there. It was in favor to both parties."

The last four years for Sale in Boston were defined more by his injuries than anything he did on the field. He had Tommy John surgery in March 2020 that kept him out until August 2021.

Sale was limited to two starts in 2022 due to a rib stress fracture suffered in spring training, fractured finger suffered when a liner hit him on the hand in July and a broken wrist due to a bicycle accident in August.

The 2023 season saw Sale make 20 starts for the first time since 2019. He did miss two months in the middle of the season due to a stress reaction in his left scapula.

Even though Sale posted a 4.30 ERA in those 20 starts for the Red Sox, there were some encouraging signs from his performance. He ranked in the 80th percentile or higher in hard-hit rate, strikeout rate and chase rate.

Atlanta doesn't need Sale to anchor its rotation like the Red Sox did. The reigning NL East champs have Spencer Strider, Max Fried and Charlie Morton to lead their starting rotation.

If Sale can give the Braves 20-25 solid starts during the regular season and pitch in the playoffs, this trade will be a win for the club and he gets the chance to play for one of the best teams in MLB.