Chris Sale unlikely to rejoin Chicago White Sox rotation this weekend
By Hayden Kane
Ace left-handed pitcher Chris Sale is eligible to come off the disabled list and pitch for the Chicago White Sox this weekend. It sounds like that is unlikely, however, and Sale will have to take some more time before he pitches again.
According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, the White Sox would still like to see more progress from Sale and more indications that he is 100% before trotting him back out there in the rotation:
"Chris Sale played catch again on Tuesday and is scheduled to play long toss Wednesday, per White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper. But the likelihood doesn’t seem high for the White Sox ace to pitch this weekend in Cleveland, when he’s eligible to come off the disabled list…”"
As for manager Robin Ventura, he indicated that it will largely be left up to Sale:
"It’s slim at the best…Again, he’ll throw and we’ll see how he does.He’s going to be the best judge of that. We can sit here and make all the plans we want, but until he throws and feels 100 percent, he can go out there and nothing is going to jump back on him, then he would throw.”"
Because of his herky-jerky unconventional delivery, many have felt that an arm injury for Sale is inevitable. With this being an injury being a flexor muscle strain in his left arm, the White Sox will proceed extra cautiously and hope that Sale gets a clean bill of health before adding him back to the rotation.