Chris Sale to miss start of Boston Red Sox season because of stress fracture in rib cage

Chris Sale will miss the start of the season because of a stress fracture in his rib cage.

The injury will take weeks, not days, before Sale can resume throwing.

Sale, who turns 33 on March 30, suffered the injury during a pitching session at his alma mater, Florida Gulf Coast University. He said he initially felt pain, but over the next few days it got worse and he had a stress fracture on his eighth rib. Sale told Alex and Bloom of the injury.

There is no timetable for Sale's return.

In the aftermath of his injury, Sale was left to seek a diagnosis and treatment on his own, as he was under the control of his own workouts and preparation. Sale didn't blame the circumstances for his injury.

What would have happened if I were training all summer? That is an unanswerable question, he said. I had to play with the circumstances I was given. I did that. It was the same for everyone. It was not just me. Everyone had to deal with this.

Sale missed time to injury after signing a five-year, $145 million extension with the Red Sox. The seven-time All-Star missed nearly two years due to an elbow injury. Since his first year with Boston, he has not made more than 30 starts.

I'm just kind of waiting. Sale said that he was like a dog on a chain. The last couple years have sucked and I have run into some pretty unlucky circumstances with arm troubles and then my neck. What can you do?

Small things are difficult because of the rib injury. Pain is caused by sneezes, coughs, and any movement requiring rotation. Sale has pitched in just nine games since the start of the season, but he said he was not concerned about his health.

Sale said that the arm stuff that bothered him was a failure. This was a freak incident, and there isn't much you can do. I have never dealt with anything like this before. The way my body was feeling before all of this happened, I was throwing off a mound a lot better than I had been in the past.

The lefty thinks this latest injury is a hurdle to overcome as the Red Sox prepare to open the season in New York against the Yankees.

Sale said that he has got work to do. I thought I would never get over hurdles. This is another one of them. I guess to get over and all the while trying to be a good teammate and a good leader.

Sale told reporters that he wouldn't be allowed to play in Toronto because he hadn't received a vaccine. It is not clear when he will be able to pitch, after an off-season in which all of the American League East teams have invested in improvements.

The report was contributed to by an athlete.