Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale suffers gruesome finger injury, leaves game vs. Yankees

Bad luck struck Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale again Sunday as he was forced to leave his outing against the New York Yankees.

Sale left the game in the first inning after he was struck by a line drive off the bat of Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks. Sale hit the dirt immediately and hurried off the field. He was replaced by Hirokazu Sawamura. 

It was later revealed he fractured a pinkie.

Sale held his hand up as he walked off the mound. Video from the game showed a mangled finger.

The star Red Sox pitcher was making only his second start since returning from a fractured rib. He pitched Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays and appeared to be in familiar form. He threw five shutout innings, allowing only three hits.

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Sale’s been hit with the injury bug a bunch of times during his tenure with the Red Sox. He battled through shoulder and elbow troubles in 2018 and 2019. He didn’t pitch in 2020 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.

He returned in 2021 only to suffer more elbow discomfort.

He injured a rib during the work stoppage. And Sunday he injured the pinkie.

Sale is signed with Boston through the 2024 season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.