Levine: Sale Skipped In Rotation Until Next Week
By Bruce Levine-
(CBS) -- White Sox ace Chris Sale will get an extended rest though the All-Star break and beyond. The team will most likely have the 26-year-old Sale, a three-time All-Star, pitch again on Monday or Tuesday. Sale last started on July 9, throwing, 7 2/3 innings of shutout baseball only to watch the hapless bullpen squander a four-run lead.
Chicago's management has been cautious with the fragile-but-talented left-hander. Sale has had elbow and shoulder issues since going into the rotation in 2012. Despite brief interludes in his rotation schedule, he has started 73 games in his two-and-a-half seasons as a starter.
The White Sox announced their rotation through Sunday's finale of a three-game series with Houston. Jose Quintana, Hector Noesi and John Danks will pitch in that order, beginning Friday. Sale will pitch in one of the games early next week against Kansas City. Though the team has not made the date public, there are no worries about the pitcher's health.
Sale pitched one inning in the All-Star Game on Tuesday evening, giving up one earned run. He missed five weeks from April until the end of May with forearm soreness after throwing 127 pitches against Boston.
Sale is 8-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 14 starts this season.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
