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BOSTON — Red Sox ace Chris Sale looked like he was going to turn in another solid start on Thursday night at Fenway Park, matching power pitches with Reds fireballing phenom Hunter Greene.
But with two outs in the top of the fourth inning, Sale exited the game with what the club described as left shoulder soreness. Following Boston’s 8-2 victory, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Sale will have an MRI on Friday.
Cora and assistant athletic trainer Masai Takahashi made two medical visits in that fourth inning to check on Sale, and he was removed from the game immediately following the second visit.
In 3 2/3 innings, Sale gave up five hits and one run, walking one and striking out six.
He topped out at 96 mph in the first inning but was down to the low 90s with some of his offerings in the third and fourth. Sale did reach back for a 95.5 mph heater to Nick Senzel, the final batter he faced.
For the season, Sale is 5-2 with a 4.58 ERA.
After dealing with a barrage of health issues from 2020-22, Sale was fully healthy for the start of Spring Training and made his first 11 starts without incident.
Entering Thursday, Sale had a 2.91 ERA in his previous seven starts. This, after Sale shook off the rust in his first three starts, registering an 11.25 ERA.