From Jacob deGrom to Chris Sale, when will these 8 elite arms return?

Chris Sale injury update

Yes, he’s not one of the top five aces that he used to be. However, as proven last year, Chris Sale can still make meaningful contributions to a playoff-contending team. To my dismay as a Red Sox fan, Sale went down again with a rib injury before the season started, which cut the Boston starting pitching depth to the brim.

He was placed on the 60-day IL, so we won’t see him until early June at the earliest. However, things seem to be progressing.

It’s likely we’re going to see exactly what we did last year from Sale recovery-wise. Last year, Sale throw an abundance of innings in the minor leagues before returning in mid-August. I think Sale will make a few starts in the minors in late May, and then likely return in mid-June. Unlike, the Astros, the Sox have very little starting pitching depth, providing a reason for extra caution. He’s an essential piece for their postseason contention.

Mike Soroka injury update

Soroka is coming off two back-to-back Achilles tears. He hasn’t pitched since early 2020, and I’m sure Braves fans are interested in his potential return to dominance in 2022. Is he still an ace?

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Soroka is “optimistic” he will be able to pitch sometime during the second half of the season. He’s been cleared to run and throw, which is encouraging. However, I don’t think we’ll see Soroka until mid-August or early September. I’m very confident we will see Soroka in the playoffs, if the Braves can clinch a playoff spot.