The Atlanta Braves were already on unstable ground this season. Now, with Chris Sale heading to the injured list, the team might be preparing to throw in the towel on the 2025 campaign altogether.
Sale—Atlanta’s top-performing pitcher and most valuable trade asset—suffered a fractured rib cage during his June 19 outing against the Mets. The Braves responded by placing the 36-year-old lefty on the 15-day IL, retroactive to June 20. His injury likely extinguishes Atlanta’s best reason to remain aggressive at the trade deadline.
Sale Was Atlanta’s Anchor — and Key Trade Chip
Prior to the injury, Sale was pitching at an elite level reminiscent of his Cy Young-winning 2024 season. Over 15 starts, he compiled a 2.52 ERA and a 2.65 FIP, while striking out over 30% of batters faced. In a rotation riddled with injuries, Sale was the team’s lone reliable starter.
MLB insider Matt Snyder had even identified Sale as one of the league’s most intriguing trade targets—particularly if the Braves continued slipping in the playoff race. With his contract set to expire (and a team option for 2026), he was a prime rental candidate for contenders. For a team like Atlanta, lacking in high-end prospects and desperate for healthy arms, trading Sale could have yielded much-needed future value.
Rotation in Freefall
Sale’s injury is just the latest in a series of crushing blows to Atlanta’s pitching staff.
AJ Smith-Shawver is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and Reynaldo López remains sidelined with shoulder issues. Co-ace Spencer Strider has struggled since undergoing internal brace surgery and has also missed time with a hamstring problem.
With so many frontline starters unavailable, the Braves have been forced to turn to unproven options like Austin Cox, who was recalled to fill in for Sale. The rotation chaos makes it hard to imagine Atlanta mounting a serious playoff push.
Standings Reflect the Struggle
Heading into the weekend, the Braves sat at 34-40—10 games behind the Phillies in the NL East and six back from the final NL wild card spot. Making matters worse, four teams stand between them and that final postseason berth.
This isn’t a club that needs a small fix—it’s one whose foundation of dominant pitching and steady performance has crumbled.
With Sale gone, the rationale for being buyers at the deadline disappears. And with few top-tier prospects or tradable veterans on the roster, they don’t have much to offer as sellers either.
Where Do They Go from Here?
The outlook is bleak. Atlanta’s farm system ranks among the weakest in baseball, and their core roster is aging and dealing with injuries. With Sale’s trade value now lost, their best shot at a quick retool may have vanished.
Their choices are limited: either cling to faint playoff hopes or begin the painful process of rebuilding, parting with whatever assets they can.
Chris Sale’s injury may have done more than take him off the mound—it may have effectively ended the Braves’ season.
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