This Major League pitcher has serious control issues.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale, rehabbing in the minor leagues from a rib injury, went berserk in the clubhouse after a poor performance Wednesday night in a moment of extreme frustration caught on video. The one-time ace was seen on video ripping fixtures from the walls in the team’s Triple A affiliate Worcester’s clubhouse. The display of rage came after he gave up a bases-loaded walk.
“Pfffff. Not good,” Sale later told The Boston Globe in recounting his performance. “I was just out there fishing today. … Nothing to hang your hat on, that’s for sure.”
It appears that Chris Sale was not happy with his rehab start performance tonight 😳
(h/t @AlyshaNBCBoston) pic.twitter.com/3xbfg4vxVR
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 7, 2022
The lanky lefthander was pulled after lasting just 3.2 innings and giving up the run-scoring walk. He walked five batters and struck out five. Sale, who is trying to work his way back to the big club, was an ace with the Chicago White Sox before joining Boston in 2017. Since coming to Beantown, he has been brilliant when healthy, even leading the team to a World Series title in 2018.
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But the 33-year-old has been plagued by injuries. He underwent Tommy John surgery before the start of the 2020 season, and returned last year for just nine starts. He suffered a stress fracture in his ribs before the start of the current season and hasn’t pitched for the Red Sox yet.
Despite Wednesday’s struggles, Sale appears poised to get the call from Boston. In his four rehab starts, Sale has logged 11.1 innings with 19 strikeouts and a 2.38 earned run average. The Red Sox, who are currently tied for second place behind the arch-rival New York Yankees in the American League East, could use a healthy ace on the mound when the second half of the season resumes following the July 19 All-Star game.
If the organization decides Sale should pay for the damage he did to the Worcester clubhouse, it should not be a problem. He is earning $30 million this year and is under contract for the next three years. In 2019, Sale agreed to a contract extension “in $150 million range,” reported ESPN’s Jeff Passan.