Chris Sale Fantasy Stats

The Atlanta Braves officially named left-hander Chris Sale as their Opening Day starter for next week against the Kansas City Royals, according to Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It will be Sale's second straight Opening Day start with Atlanta and the seventh of his career. The 36-year-old veteran southpaw has plenty of experience leading a starting staff and will do so again to open the 16th year of his MLB career. The nine-time All-Star and former National League Cy Young winner is a high-risk, high-reward No. 1 fantasy baseball starter with a career 30.7% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. Sale is no stranger to injuries, which makes him a high-risk starter, but he's been lights-out the last two years in Atlanta, going 25-8 with a 2.46 ERA and 1.03 WHIP with 390 strikeouts and 71 walks in 303 1/3 innings over 50 outings (49 starts). If you draft Sale early in upcoming fantasy drafts this weekend, you'll want to make sure you have plenty of starting pitching depth.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale is fully recovered from his rib injury last year and is ready to roll for another season with the Braves. He signed an extension before spring training that will keep him with the Braves for at least 2027 and includes a team option for 2028. The 36-year-old lefty has revitalized his career with the Braves after injuries marred the end of his time in Boston. In the last two seasons, Sale has gone 25-8 in 50 starts with a 2.46 ERA, 2.33 FIP, and 11.6 K/9. Sale has allowed four runs in 7 2/3 innings in spring training, but he is expected to be atop the Braves' rotation when the season opens. He's the No. 9 pitcher in RotoBaller's rankings, and he can be a solid anchor for your rotation after the elite options are off the board. In standard-sized mixed leagues, he's an outstanding second starting pitcher and a low-end first starting pitcher.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale agreed to a one-year extension to stay in Atlanta that includes a team option for the 2028 season. Before the extension, the former Cy Young winner was on track to be a free agent after the upcoming 2026 season, but this deal will keep him in Atlanta through 2027 and possibly 2028. The 36-year-old lefty has revitalized his career with the Braves, going 25-8 in 50 games over the last two seasons. He has a 2.46 ERA and 2.33 FIP with an 11.6 K/9. He missed time with a rib injury during the team's lost season last year, but this signing is a great indication that he'll start the season healthy, and that the team is confident in his return to form coming into this season.

In his first season with the Atlanta Braves in 2024, veteran starting pitcher Chris Sale led MLB in wins and ERA on his way to winning the National League Cy Young Award. While Sale was still productive when healthy in 2025, a rib cage injury limited his availability and held down his overall performance. Across 125 2/3 innings (20 starts), Sale posted a 7-5 record with a 2.58 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 165 strikeouts. Heading into 2026, Sale could return to full Cy Young form with improved health. However, he will turn 37 years old at the end of March and carries an extensive injury track record beyond just 2025. Across a four-season stretch from 2020 through 2023, Sale made just 31 total starts. Still, since joining the Braves, Sale owns a 2.46 ERA and has posted back-to-back seasons with a strikeout rate north of 32%. He carries clear fantasy SP1 upside as long as he can stay on the mound in 2026.

The Atlanta Braves are picking up future Hall of Fame left-hander Chris Sale's $18 million option for the 2026 season on Wednesday, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Even though Sale missed extended time once again in 2025 due to injury (a left rib-cage fracture), there was never any doubt that the Braves would bring him back for his 16th MLB season. The 36-year-old nine-time All-Star and former Cy Young winner looked good again when he was healthy, going 7-5 for Atlanta with a 2.58 ERA (2.67 FIP) and 1.07 WHIP with 165 strikeouts and 32 walks in 125 2/3 innings over 21 outings (20 starts). Sale won the National League Cy Young in 2024 in his first year with the Braves, when he led the league with 18 wins, a 2.38 ERA, and 225 punchouts. Injuries are an issue, but Sale's high-end strikeout upside makes him worth the risk in fantasy.

Atlanta Braves right-hander Charlie Morton will now make the start in the regular-season finale on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with left-hander Chris Sale following in relief, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It will be the final start of his career for Morton, who has announced that he will retire following the season. The 41-year-old veteran was drafted by the Braves in the third round back in 2002, and he's spent five of his 18 MLB seasons in Atlanta. Morton spent the most years (seven) of his career with Pittsburgh, so it will be a fitting end for him this weekend. The two-time All-Star began the year with the Baltimore Orioles before joining the Detroit Tigers. Morton has struggled in his final professional season, going 9-11 with a 5.89 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, and 148:71 K:BB in 140 2/3 innings. In his prime, Morton was a back-to-back All-Star in 2018 and 2019 with the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays, and he's won two World Series titles.

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale didn't miss a beat in his first start in over two months on Saturday. Although the Braves lost 3-2 to the Philadelphia Phillies, Sale didn't factor into the decision in his return from a fractured rib cage. The 36-year-old southpaw limited the Phillies to one run on three hits while tallying nine strikeouts against one walk in six innings. Sale threw 78 pitches (51 strikes) and recorded his seventh straight quality start in his first outing since June 18. Last year's National League Cy Young winner now owns a 2.45 ERA with a 1.13 WHIP and 123:27 K:BB in 95 1/3 innings this season. He's scheduled to make his next start on Sept. 6 against the Seattle Mariners.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (ribs) has officially been activated from the 60-day injured list and is expected to start against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. The team optioned right-hander Nathan Wiles to Triple-A Gwinnett in the corresponding move. Sale has been out since mid-June with a fractured rib cage. Before getting injured, Sale was 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 114 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings (15 starts). The Braves are out of contention, so it remains to be seen how hard they will push the veteran left-hander down the stretch. Still, when Sale is on the mound, he's a fantasy ace who could swing leagues in the final month of the season.

Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale (ribs) is in line to come off the 60-day injured list on Saturday to start against the Philadelphia Phillies, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports. Sale hasn't pitched since he suffered a fractured left rib cage on June 18, interrupting another brilliant season for the 36-year-old southpaw. Before going on the IL, the reigning National League Cy Young winner recorded a 2.52 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and 114:26 K:BB over 15 starts and 89 1/3 innings. While Sale won't come back to help the out-of-contention Braves push for a championship, he could still be a major asset for fantasy managers down the stretch.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (ribs) appears to be on the verge of returning to the big-league mound. Sale tossed 4.2 innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out five strikeouts in his latest rehab start on Saturday. For now, the plan is for Sale to start for the Braves next weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies. Sale has been out since the middle of June due to a fractured left ribcage. The veteran southpaw needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats with his return on the horizon.