When Questioned, Cooper Insists Sale Is Healthy
(WSCR) Though the White Sox moved Chris Sale from the starting rotation to the bullpen because of elbow soreness, pitching coach Don Cooper insists Sale is healthy.
Even after Cooper confirmed Wednesday that Sale will undergo an MRI, Cooper told The Mully and Hanley Show there was nothing wrong with the Sox's left-hander.
"Chris Sale's elbow is sore," Cooper said. "Here's what we did - we took care of him. That's it. It was sore. Nothing else more than sore. We took him out of the rotation because we wanted to take care of it, we backed him off. That's what we did. I'll say this and then I'll end it with Chris Sale. Chris Sale is healthy. Chris Sale is fine. Chris Sale is going to be pitching. Right now, he's in the 'pen and we'll determine as we go what we'll do with Chris Sale.
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"Everybody gets (MRIs.) There are a lot of these done."
Before Wednesday's game, manager Robin Ventura said the goal is to get Sale back to the starting rotation, but he didn't think it would happen this season.
"It's the process of being a starter," Cooper said in response to Ventura's comments. "We want to take care of the kid. That's what we're trying to do. We've said all along that this is a process. We said all along that we're going to be monitoring him. We said all along that we're going to make sure he stayed healthy. That's what we're doing.
"As of this minute, as of this second, as I'm sitting here talking, he's in the 'pen. He pitched in the 'pen last night. That's it. That's where he is right now."
Cooper said the decision on when to move Sale back to the starting rotation will be a joint decision, not made by any one person.
"With the White Sox, when we do stuff, everybody's opinion is asked for, is given and then decisions are made on just about everything," Cooper said. "But certainly, when there are injuries or physical problems, the doctor's information is looked at. ... All the information that we got said, 'Hey, we need to back off this kid for a second here and give him some time to breath."
