Chris Sale lands on IL after fracturing rib cage in brutal Braves blow

The price of trying to preserve a shutout was costly for Chris Sale.The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a fractured left rib cage.He suffered the injury Wednesday when diving off the mound in the ninth inning of the Braves’ 5-0 victory against the Mets, The Athletic reported.Sale induced a one-hopper from Juan Soto that might have died on the grass in the triangle between the mound, second base and first base if not for Sale’s crazy athleticism.

He took a few steps from one side of the rubber to the other and made a full-extension stab. The 36-year-old left-hander gathered himself, popped to his knees and threw out Soto after making his 108th pitch.Sale stayed in the game and struck out Pete Alonso before Brandon Nimmo singled to chase Sale and ruin his chance at a shutout.

Sale scattered five hits and one walk while striking out seven on 116 pitches over 8 2/3 innings.The Braves fell to a season-worst 10 games under .500 on June 10 but then got hot and won six of their last seven, including a sweep of the then-first-place Mets.Now, a new obstacle.For all the struggles the Braves have endured, Sale has been close to his dominant self.He is 5-4 with a 2.52 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings.It’s a bad case of déjà vu for the Braves, who have had too many recent seasons marred by injury of late.Reynaldo Lopez, Ronald Acuna Jr.

and Spencer Strider have all missed chunks of the season.Sale only made 11 starts from 2020-22 when his potential Hall of Fame career took a turn.He got it back on track with the Braves last season.

 Left-hander Austin Cox was recalled from the minors to take Sale’s spot....