NORTH PORT, Fla. — Chris Sale is feeling physically well this spring.
“Don’t tell anybody,” he joked. “Don’t say it too loud.”
In all seriousness, Sale’s health is one of the spring’s positives. There is a long way to go in the 2024 season, but this is a nice start for the Braves’ veteran left-hander.
Sale on Thursday threw live batting practice in the main stadium at the Braves’ CoolToday Park complex. He faced six batters and hurled 30 pitches – five to each hitter.
He threw 15 pitches to three batters in his “first inning,” sat down and watched Reynaldo Lopez pitch and then went back out for his “second inning.” (Live batting practice is a simulated environment.) The hitters, in order, were Luke Williams, Forrest Wall, Eli White, Leury Garcia, Williams and Wall.
When Sale was at 25 pitches, pitching coach Rick Kranitz, who watched from behind a screen at the backstop, went out and asked: “You good? You wanna go one more hitter?”
“Yeah,” Sale said.
“Got it,” Kranitz said.
What else could you expect from Sale? Of course he wanted another hitter, even in live batting practice Feb. 22.
This was not a regular-season start, or even an outing in a spring game. But Sale got to see another human standing across from him.
“I think just kind of getting it going for the first time, real competition,” he said. “It’s not, obviously, a real game, but the senses are heightened, the intensity is up a little bit. It’s the first time I’ve thrown a pitch with someone standing in the box. Motor’s going a little bit quicker and a little bit more intensity, so it’s a good first step.”
His fastball command was inconsistent. But Sale said throwing a breaking ball or a change-up would get him back on track.
But it was Feb. 22. The important thing is Sale is healthy after a normal offseason.
Sale, who turns 35 next month, was drafted in 2010 and debuted the same year – which is amazing. His first spring training was in 2011, and since then, he’s learned about what his body needs and where he needs to be, both physically and with his stuff.
Is he pleased with where he is now?
“Yes,” Sale said. “I would say I’m right where I need to be. I was able to throw some more (bullpen sessions), so I would say maybe a little bit more sharp than I’ve been in the past. But the past is not that great, so that’s not really saying much.”
He laughed when he said that.
Then he added: “But yeah, no, I’m happy with where I’m at, I’m happy with where we’re going. I’m just excited to kind of keep this thing going, and try not to mess it up.”
As Sale threw, fans gathered in the stands to watch. He’s the Braves’ big offseason acquisition, the man who can help put the rotation over the top if he’s healthy and performing to his standards.
From the backstop, sitting behind a screen, Braves manager Brian Snitker, catching coach Sal Fasano and Kranitz watched.
“It’s really good,” Snitker said of Sale’s live batting practice. “It’s kind of nice to see everybody get a hitter in there.”
As Sale continues building up, he’s happy in his new situation here.
“It’s been great,” he said. “It’s always an easier transition when you’re going into a group like this group. I’ve said it a few times, but the demeanor is very laid-back around here. But when it’s time to work, you see those senses heighten, you see the intensity. And you see the purpose. We’re not just out here doing it because we have to. Everyone knows what the deal is and what’s at stake, what we’re working for.”
Lopez, Bummer throw
Lopez and lefty reliever Aaron Bummer threw one inning apiece around Sale’s work.
Lopez threw 20 pitches – five to each of the four hitters he faced. He got at least three swinging strikes: Two from Williams and one from Wall. His slider and curveball looked like deadly complements to his high-velocity four-seamer.
“He threw the ball really good,” Snitker said.
Bummer features a funky delivery that could mess with some hitters. He threw an inning to finish the Braves’ third full-squad workout of the spring.
