The Atlanta Braves are weighing whether to start Chris Sale on regular rest this week or turn to prospect JR Ritchie instead, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman.
Sale is lined up to pitch on his normal rest Wednesday, but Bowman noted that Ritchie would also be on normal rest that day. Calling him up would let Atlanta skip Sale’s turn entirely and instead save him for a tuneup start next week ahead of the Wild Card series.
It’s a tricky question considering the current postseason picture. Currently, the Braves are in position to win the National League East, but with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers owning better records, the Braves will not be receiving a bye to the NLDS; instead, they will be playing in a Wild Card series against the San Diego Padres.
© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The decision comes after a 9-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday that spoiled a series the Braves had appeared poised to sweep. Atlanta won the opener 6-5 in 11 innings and followed with a 12-2 rout Saturday before Alec Bohm’s two-run double keyed a seven-run eighth inning in the finale.
The Braves still left the series with a decent five-game lead in the NL East with 12 games remaining.
Ritchie, Atlanta’s No. 2 prospect, has bounced between the majors and Triple-A Gwinnett most of the season and hasn’t pitched for the Braves since August 2. He’s been sharp lately, striking out 15 batters for a Gwinnett record on September 6 and posting a 2.28 ERA over his last five Triple-A starts.
Sale, 37, is having one of the best seasons of his career, sitting at 14-9 with a 2.18 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and 190 strikeouts across 157 innings. He pitched against the Phillies on Friday, allowing three runs over seven innings for his ninth straight quality start.
He hasn’t pitched in the postseason since the 2021 ALCS with the Boston Red Sox, missing Atlanta’s 2024 Wild Card series with back spasms.
Greatest Atlanta Braves of All-Time
- Best Atlanta Braves pitchers of all-time
- 5 best hitters in Atlanta Braves history
- 5 best Braves shortstops of all-time
- 5 best Atlanta Braves pitchers of all-time
