Just when it looked like the Braves might finally be hitting their stride, the injury bug came back swinging, landing a shot straight to the heart of Atlanta’s rotation. On Saturday, the Braves officially placed reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list with a fractured left rib cage. It was a freak injury that occurred during his dominant outing Wednesday against the Mets.
Sale’s absence adds yet another frustrating chapter to a 2025 season filled with detours, delays, and inconsistencies. The Braves already dealt with the loss Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider for extended stretches. Now their best starter is sidelined with no clear timetable for return.
Sale’s Freak Injury, Big Blow
Manager Brian Snitker told reporters the injury happened in the ninth inning Wednesday when Sale dove off the mound to make a play. “Great play,” Snitker said. “Just a freak thing. An unfortunate thing.” Sale even completed his postgame routine afterward and seemed fine until discomfort crept in the following day. It wasn’t until Friday, during a workout session, that the pain became too much to ignore.
X-rays revealed the fracture; with an injury like this, there’s no shortcut. “With bones like that, they’ve got to heal before you can start the process,” Snitker said before the Braves win on Saturday. “I have no idea how long it will be.” The 15-day IL stint is backdated to Thursday, but it could easily stretch longer.
It’s a crushing setback for Sale, who’s been resurgent in his first full season with Atlanta. After years of injuries and setbacks, the veteran lefty has looked like his old self. He’s boasting a 2.77 ERA, a 4-3 record, and 111 strikeouts in just under 90 innings. His most recent start, a 116-pitch masterclass against the Mets, was his best of the season. He’d allowed just two earned runs in 21 2/3 innings in June alone.
Fuentes Steps Into the Spotlight
Sale’s injury came one day before another major milestone for the Braves: the MLB debut of 20-year-old Didier Fuentes. The club’s No. 10 prospect was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett and made history as the youngest Braves pitcher to start a game since 1970—and the youngest in the majors since Julio Urías debuted with the Dodgers in 2019.
The results were mixed, but the promise was clear. Fuentes gave up four runs over five innings in a 6-2 loss to the Marlins, but his poise on the mound stood out just as much as his stuff. “I was very impressed with how he handled everything,” Snitker said. “His calm, his demeanor, everything on the mound—it was like he belonged out there.”
It’s not yet clear if Fuentes will stay in the rotation long-term, but with Sale down and no timetable in sight, the Braves will need all hands on deck. “We’ll just go with the five guys we’ve got,” Snitker said.
Cox Returns, Braves Rotation Tightens
To fill Sale’s roster spot, Atlanta recalled lefty Austin Cox, who will likely slide into a bullpen or swingman role depending on how the next stretch of games plays out. The current rotation now leans on Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, Spencer Strider, and Chris Sale’s temporary replacements—a patchwork group with promise but not much margin for error.
The Braves did rebound with a strong 7-0 win on Saturday behind Holmes, but the big picture remains uncertain. With their ace down, a Wild Card push that already felt steep just became a steeper climb.
Still, if there’s one thing this Braves team has shown, it’s that they don’t quit. Sale’s injury is a setback, no doubt—but it also opens the door for young arms like Fuentes to grow up fast. And in a season already defined by adversity, that might just be the next chapter in Atlanta’s wild ride.
