Red Sox's Chris Sale to Undergo MRI on Elbow Injury After Experiencing Soreness

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale was sent for an MRI after feeling soreness in his left elbow Monday, manager Ron Roenicke confirmed to reporters.

Roenicke added that the team has yet to receive the results of the test.

The Red Sox manager had already said Sale wouldn't be ready for Opening Day on March 26 and would likely start the regular season on the 15-day injured list. The issue wasn't related to an injury but rather that Sale had the flu and pneumonia, which disrupted his spring preparations.

Last March, the Red Sox signed Sale to a five-year, $145 million extension. The deal made sense at the time. The 30-year-old was one of the most consistent aces in MLB, and the value of his contract was comparable to what others with his resume had received on the open market.

Now, that extension is already shaping up to be an albatross on Boston's payroll.

Sale finished with a career-high 4.40 ERA in 2019, and his 3.39 FIP was his second-worst, per FanGraphs. Most concerning, the Red Sox shut the southpaw down last August with elbow inflammation.

Although it's too early to panic before the results of the MRI are known, the warning signs are there. His fastball velocity fell from 95.57 mph in 2018 to 93.75 mph, per Brooks Baseball, and many have wondered whether his atypical throwing motion would leave him susceptible to a significant elbow injury down the line.

Boston's priorities for this season were clear when the team traded Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Sox haven't done anything to address Price's departure, and now the status of their best starter is up in the air.

Baseball Prospectus only gives Boston a 32.2 percent chance of reaching the postseason, and those odds will take a significant hit if Sale's elbow requires surgery.