North Port, FL — It should not come as a surprise to anyone who follows the Atlanta Braves that reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale will take the hill on opening day this season.
On Monday, the team announced Sale will be ready to go on March 27 at Petco Park in San Diego when the Braves begin the new baseball season with the Padres.
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Sale exceeded pretty much everyone’s expectations in 2024, when he not only made it through almost the whole season healthy but pitched like the dominant ace who was in the running for the American League Cy Young award six times in a row from 2013-2019. Sale led the National League with 18 wins, a 2.25 ERA and 225 strikeouts.
The start marks the first time Sale will start an opener for the Braves, but he did open the season for the Chicago White Sox in 2013, 2014 and 2016 along with starting the season in 2018 and 19 for the Boston Red Sox.
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Sale will lead a strong Atlanta Braves pitching staff this year with Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach, as well as some combination of Grant Holmes and Ian Anderson filling in the gaps until Spencer Strider returns.
Speaking of Strider, he may be back sooner rather than later after he made his Spring Training debut on Monday. Strider threw nearly three shutout innings versus the Boston Red Sox, with six strikeouts in his first game since an elbow injury and surgery in early 2024.
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The Braves will have four games in San Diego to start the season before heading up Interstate 5 to Los Angeles for a series with the Dodgers. The team will return to Truist Park on April 4 for their home opener against the Florida Marlins.