Braves cut Chris Sale, recall Bryce Elder to start against D-backs

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

The Braves announced Elder’s promotion more than four hours before the first pitch. A reason for the decision to sell was not immediately known.

Sale is now listed as the starter for Tuesday night’s game against Arizona’s top player Zac Gallen.

Sale (11-3, 2.71 ERA) leads the major leagues in wins and ranks sixth in strikeouts (127) and eighth in ERA. The 35-year-old was named a National League All-Star on Sunday. It will be his eighth appearance.

Elder, 25, is 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA in six major league starts this season, the most recent of which was 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, optioned left-hander Dylan Lee and outfielder Luke Williams to Gwinnett and designated for assignment outfielder JP Martinez.

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

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

Rosario had a .255 batting average with 21 home runs 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 had a .183 batting average with 7 home runs 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 was 1-for-10 in 12 games and Martinez was 2-for-10 in seven games.