Well-rested Sale ready to take on the Yankees

NEW YORK – Chris Sale will attempt to strengthen his Cy Young Award candidacy when he makes his second straight start in New York City.

Thanks to a pair of recent off-days, Sale will be pitching with an extra five days of rest when he starts against the Yankees on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The 37-year-old hasn't pitched since throwing six scoreless innings against the Mets in the second game of a doubleheader at Citi Field on July 29.

“[Extra rest] is one of the things that has kept him strong and kept his velocity where it’s at,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s crazy to think about, but at 37 years old, he’s producing some of the highest velocities in his entire career. I think that’s because of some of the adjustments he’s made in his throwing program this offseason and the in-season throwing program. The extra days are a factor too.”

Sale ranks second in the Majors with a 2.08 ERA and his four-seamer has averaged a career-best 96.1 mph this year. His previous highest mark was 95.2 mph, which he produced as a 29-year-old in 2018. His arm started bothering him the following year, and he totaled just 151 innings from 2021-23 after missing the entirety of 2020 and the majority of 2021, when he returned in mid-August.

Wanting to increase the odds that Sale will be healthy and strong once the playoffs arrive, the Braves have given him just two starts with regular rest this year. The 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner has posted a 1.92 ERA in 11 starts with one extra day of rest and a 1.31 ERA in seven starts with one or more extra days of rest.