White Sox ace Sale to miss opener due to broken foot
Chicago White Sox All-Star left-hander Chris Sale will miss the start of the season because of a broken foot.
Sale, who was injured Feb. 27 in an accident at home, was expected to miss the April 6 opener in Kansas City but the team made it official on Wednesday. He will not resume baseball activities for at least 10 more days.
White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams told MLB Network on Wednesday that the team was taking Sale on ''a little slower road'' rather than rush him back in time for the opener.
''He's not going to be the opening-day starter,'' Williams told ''High Heat.'' ''But it looks like he could make the April 12 start, dependent on how he comes along. All signs are pointing upward right now.''
Manager Robin Ventura said after Wednesday's game against the Texas Rangers that Sale is not going to start. It is not certain who will, but Jeff Samardzija, who opened the last two seasons for the crosstown Chicago Cubs, is a leading candidate to face the Royals.
''I'm not going to sit here and tell you who's opening, but hopefully a week into the season we can set a goal somewhere in the first two weeks,'' Ventura said of Sale's return.