Sale (1-1) absorbed the loss Saturday in Miami, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks over seven innings. He notched seven strikeouts.

EDGE Analysis

Sale was outdueled by youngster Max Meyer but still managed to go seven frames for the first time since May of last season. The five runs he permitted more than doubled his season total, and his three walks were more than he had on the year coming into the night. Sale's next outing is slated to come at home against the defending champion Rangers.

Sale (1-0) picked up the win Sunday against Arizona, he surrendered two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out six.

EDGE Analysis

After throwing 83 pitches in his 2024 debut, Sale saw his pitch count rise to 96 on Sunday. However, the result was the same, lasting 5.1 innings with two runs allowed. As usual, the big question for Sale's fantasy value comes with his durability, tossing 11.0 innings combined in 2021 and 2022 before rebounding with 102.2 innings across 20 starts in his last season with the Red Sox. For as long as he's healthy, fantasy managers can rely on the talented veteran. While there's some rotational shakeup coming in the wake of Spencer Strider's (elbow) move to the 15-Day IL, Sale's tentatively scheduled to face the Marlins in Miami next time out.

Sale did not factor into the decision Sunday against the Phillies, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out seven.

EDGE Analysis

Sale looked like his typical self Sunday, throwing 83 pitches over 5.1 innings in his Atlanta debut. The 35-year-old appears to be fully healthy, as he averaged 94.9-mph on his fastball, up one full tick from his average velocity in 2023. He also had some extra juice on his infamous sidewinding slider, generating a 79.4-mph average velocity, up from 77.8-mph in 2023. The only blemish on the Atlanta lefty's afternoon came via a leadoff homer in the first inning surrendered to Kyle Schwarber. Sale's next start is slated to be against Arizona at home.

Sale allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Tampa Bay. He struck out six.

EDGE Analysis

After a great beginning to his first spring with Atlanta, Sale has given up five runs over his last seven innings, albeit with a still-sharp 8:2 K:BB. The 34-year-old southpaw has been healthy though, which is the most important thing for a pitcher who hasn't thrown more than 102.2 innings in a season since 2019. Sale is on track for a mid-rotation spot to begin the year, and the reigning NL East champs can afford to go easy on his workload in 2024 given their pitching depth. Expecting more than 25 starts from Sale this season might be asking too much, but he should still be good for plenty of whiffs when he's on the mound after posting a 29.4 percent strikeout rate for Boston last year.

Sale allowed three runs on four hits and a walk over 3.2 innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles. He struck out two.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran lefty came into the game with a 0.00 ERA through his first two spring outings, but a Baltimore lineup that featured only two likely regulars in Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg stung Sale for three hits and a walk in the second inning, with a Coby Mayo double being the biggest blow. Sale still has an 11:3 K:BB through 8.1 Grapefruit League innings, and staying healthy remains his most important goal ahead of Opening Day.

Sale gave up three hits and two walks over 2.2 scoreless innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out five while also throwing a wild pitch.

EDGE Analysis

That's nine Ks and a 0.00 ERA in 4.2 innings for Sale as he gets ready for his first campaign with Atlanta. The 34-year-old lefty hasn't made 25 starts in a season since 2019, and injuries have left his numbers somewhat volatile since he crossed over into his 30s, but he appears to be 100 percent healthy in camp and could be poised for a rebound. At the very least, he could take a run at double-digit wins for the first time since 2018 with one of the most potent offenses in MLB at his back.

Sale struck out four batters over two perfect innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran southpaw fired 16 of 25 pitches for strikes and overpowered a lineup that likely featured most of Pittsburgh's Opening Day starters, with his strikeout victims including Oneil Cruz and Yasmani Grandal. Sale said at the beginning of camp that he was coming off his healthiest offseason in years, offering some optimism that he can still deliver dominant results when he's on the mound, but the 34-year-old hasn't thrown at least 150 innings in a season since 2018.

Sale indicated Saturday that he'd been completely healthy this offseason for the first time since 2018, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 34-year-old left-hander has dealt with a litany of injuries in the years since, and his typical winter during that time involved rehabbing from his latest issue rather than focusing on the upcoming campaign. A clean start to 2024 doesn't guarantee that Sale will be able to take 30-plus turns in the rotation for Atlanta, of course, but it does offer some reason for optimism that he'll top the 102.2 innings he threw for Boston last year. Sale still flashes premium stuff, posting a 29.4 percent strikeout rate last season with a 6.8 percent walk rate, and his 33.6 percent chase rate was in the 92nd percentile. If he can handle a bigger workload, he could produce 200 strikeouts for the first time since 2019.

Sale signed a two-year, $38 million contract with Atlanta on Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

The deal also includes an $18 million club option for 2026. Sale had been slated to earn $27.5 million in 2024, but the reworked deal will drop his salary to $16 million for the upcoming season while adding a $22 million salary for 2025. Boston is covering $17 million, so Atlanta will be responsible for just $21 million over two years. The left-hander recently waived his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a trade from the Red Sox that sent Vaughn Grissom to Boston. The 102.2 innings Sale threw in 2023 more than doubled his total across the previous three seasons, and he will remain a major health question mark in 2024. He still boasted a 29.4 percent strikeout rate, though, and finished with a 2.88 ERA in September.

The Red Sox traded Sale to Atlanta on Saturday in exchange for Vaughn Grissom, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Boston will also send $17 million to Atlanta in order to cover some of the $27.5 million Sale is owed this season, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. Sale put up a 4.30 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 102.2 frames last season with Boston and missed two months with a shoulder injury, but he finished the year strong, allowing eight earned runs over 25 innings across five starts in September.