ESPN MLB insider Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is expected to avoid Tommy John surgery after a second opinion on his injured left elbow from Dr. James Andrews confirmed a previous diagnosis of inflammation, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.
Sale, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday, flew to meet with Andrews on Monday, sources said. The 30-year-old is in the midst of the worst season of his 10-year career after this spring signing a contract extension that begins in 2020 and pays him $145 million over five years.
Following his last start six days ago, Sale felt soreness in his elbow and underwent an MRI. Initial readings showed changes from the MRI he had in the spring but weren’t clear enough to definitively judge whether there was damage to his ulnar collateral ligament.