The Atlanta Braves have announced their roster for the National League Wild Card Series against the San Diego Padres, and one notable name is missing: star left-hander Chris Sale. Sale, a top contender for the NL Cy Young Award, was scratched from his start on Monday due to back spasms, and the team has decided not to include him on the roster for the best-of-three series.
Sale’s absence is a significant blow to the Braves, who were counting on his dominant performance to help them advance to the next round. The left-hander has been dealing with back issues throughout the season, and his velocity has been down in recent starts. In his last outing on September 19, his average velocity was 92.7 mph, down from 95.9 mph in his previous start.
In Sale’s place, the Braves have added right-handers Bryce Elder and AJ Smith-Shawver to their roster. Both pitchers are candidates to start Game 1 on Tuesday in San Diego. The team has also opted to leave starting pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach and Grant Holmes off the roster, as they pitched against the New York Mets on Monday.
Despite Sale’s absence, the Braves remain confident in their ability to compete against the Padres. With a deep lineup and strong bullpen, they’re looking to make a deep run in the playoffs. The series gets underway on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET, with the Braves hoping to come out on top.
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