Braves pass on Chris Sale, recall Bryce Elder to start vs. D-backs

The Atlanta Braves held All-Star left-hander Chris Sale out of their game Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks and recalled right-hander Bryce Elder from Triple-A Gwinnett to start the game.

The Braves announced Elder’s promotion more than four hours before first pitch. No reason was immediately given for the decision regarding Sale.

Sale is now listed to start Tuesday night’s game against Arizona ace Zac Gallen.

Sale (11-3, 2.71 ERA) is tied for the major league lead in wins and ranks sixth in strikeouts (127) and eighth in earned run average. The 35-year-old was named to the National League All-Star Game on Sunday. This will be his eighth appearance.

Elder, 25, is 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA in six major league starts this season, most recently in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 26, when he allowed two runs and four hits in six innings.

Last season, Elder was 12-4 with a 3.81 ERA in 31 starts for the Braves.

At Gwinnett, Elder is 5-3 with a 4.35 ERA in nine starts.

Atlanta also promoted veteran outfielder Eddie Rosario to the major league roster, sent left-hander Dylan Lee and outfielder Luke Williams to Gwinnett and designated outfielder JP Martinez for assignment.

The Braves just brought Rosario back into the organization on Friday. The 32-year-old was released by the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. He’s in the starting lineup, batting seventh and playing left field against Arizona on Monday.

Rosario was voted MVP of the 2021 National League Championship Series when the Braves defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. Rosario hit .560 (14-for-25) with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs in the series. Atlanta went on to win the World Series.

Rosario hit .255 with 21 homers and 74 RBIs in 142 games for the Braves last season, but the club declined his $9 million option for 2024. He then signed with the Nationals and hit .183 with seven homers and 26 RBIs in 67 games before his release.

Lee is 2-2 with a 2.00 ERA in 28 games for Atlanta this season. Williams has hit 1 in 10 games and Martinez has hit 2 in 10 games.