The Atlanta Braves will play a best-of-five series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series, but Chris Sale likely won't be on the mound for Game 1.
Sale pitched on Tuesday in Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies and came in to throw the final 1 1/3 innings in Game 3 on Thursday. With Game 1 in Los Angeles scheduled for Saturday, there are questions about when Sale will start, given he has thrown twice in the last three days.
Ideally, if Sale were not used out of the bullpen on Thursday, he would be on four days of rest and be good to go for Game 2 of the series. Sale has only pitched on four days of rest twice this season, but it's the postseason, and the Braves are not going to keep Sale stashed away until Game 3.
"If I had to pitch tomorrow, I'd be ready," Sale said after Thursday's win, according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman.
Sale is one of the last remaining pitchers from an era that saw starting pitchers push the limits of pitch counts. The postseason is different from the regular season, and as the team's ace, Sale wants to be on the mound for the biggest games. Pitching him in Game 1 would be malpractice, but having him go on Sunday, four days after his Game 1 start with a 21-pitch relief outing two days later, is not a stretch.
While Walt Weiss has not committed to Sale pitching in Game 2 of the NLDS, he has made it seem like he will be available.
"There's no reason for saving the arm for the offseason," Sale said after Thursday's win, per Reggie Chatman Jr.