Chris Sale injury: Red Sox pitcher leaves Yankees game after taking comebacker to hand

Chris Sale left Sunday’s start vs. the New York Yankees after taking a comebacker to the hand.

The injury woes for Chris Sale continue, as the Boston Red Sox left-hander is going on the IL again.

In the last game before the All-Star break, fate would have it Sale would break the pinky finger on his throwing hand. The ball exploded off New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks’ bat right back at him. While it is always a terrible idea to leave your throwing hand exposed in situations like this, Sale had zero time to react. He knew his finger was broken immediately after contact. Awful luck.

Sale made his way to the dugout off the mound without even seeking medical staff consultation.

Chris Sale injury: Boston Red Sox pitcher hurts pinky finger on throwing hand

It has been nothing short of an agonizing last few years for Sale. He has pitched in a grand total of 11 games since the 2019 MLB season for the Red Sox, including Sunday’s extremely brief outing. After winning his first World Series ring in 2018, the former perennial AL All-Star has been hit by a ton of bricks since turning 30 years old. This broken finger may sideline him longer than expected.

While injuries to the thumb, index or middle fingers are way more damning for a pitcher, it is hard to grip the baseball effectively without the use of the latter two fingers on one’s hand. Not only does it remove any real off-speed stuff from the arsenal, but it puts unwanted pressure on the broken digit when trying to fire a fastball or a breaking ball. Regardless, Sale is hurt once again.

If his finger heals properly, Sale could return in time for the Red Sox’s postseason push later on.

Update: It has been confirmed as a fractured pinky finger for Chris Sale.

This is an awful turn of events for the Red Sox.