ATLANTA -- Tyler Mahle will make his Braves debut during Friday night’s series opener at Yankee Stadium, allowing Atlanta to continue its plan of giving Chris Sale additional rest whenever possible over the remainder of the season.
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. The 37-year-old National League Cy Young Award candidate hasn't pitched since throwing six scoreless innings against the Mets 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 average high 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 2020-23.
Wanting to increase the odds Sale will be healthy and strong once the playoffs arrive, the Braves have given him just two starts with regular rest. 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 more than one extra day of rest.
Mahle will draw a lot of attention as he makes his first start since being acquired from the Giants on Sunday prior to Monday’s Trade Deadline. The veteran right-hander returned from the injured list on June 24 and posted a 3.06 ERA over his next six starts. Mahle’s strong run ended Saturday night, when the Padres tagged him for five earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. But he did register nine strikeouts in the outing.
“[Mahle]’s a guy we feel can defend himself against any lineup,” Weiss said. “So, it will be good to see him.”