Braves Schedule Chris Sale for Game 3 Start Following Bullpen Outing

Lefty Chris Sale will start Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday after throwing 21 pitches in relief during the wild-card series finale.

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss announced that left-hander Chris Sale will start Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday in Atlanta. The decision follows Sale's relief appearance in Thursday's wild-card clincher against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he threw 21 pitches over 1 1/3 innings to record four outs. Sale was originally projected to start Game 2 at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, but the team opted for a bullpen game led by Ray Kerr instead.

Weiss stated he has "zero regrets" regarding the decision to use Sale out of the bullpen, despite the Braves trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 in the best-of-five series following a 5-3 loss in the opener. During his Thursday outing, Sale entered in the eighth inning with a four-run lead to face Bryce Harper and remained in the game to complete the ninth. The 37-year-old pitcher finished the 2026 regular season with a 14-9 record and a 2.16 ERA across 162 2/3 innings.

The Braves have prioritized rest for Sale throughout the season, as he made 25 of his 27 starts with at least five days of recovery. Weiss noted that starting Sale on Tuesday ensures the team receives a "full-strength" version of the pitcher rather than an 80% version on Sunday. In his most recent start against Los Angeles on Aug. 27, Sale threw a shutout and reached 100 mph with his fastball.