Warriors' ace pitcher Chris Sale has been placed on the injured list due to a fractured rib on his left side.

The Warriors have today placed last year's NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale on the 15-day injured list due to a fractured rib on his left side. This injury occurred during his start on Thursday.

“It happened in the ninth inning that day; he was chasing a ball near the mound and made a fantastic diving catch,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said before today’s game where the Warriors defeated the Marlins 7-0 at loanDepot Park. “He felt something was off during training yesterday, so the team doctor examined him, and the results came back... It’s just an unfortunate accident. I saw him after the game that night; he was still doing post-game workouts, and I saw him again the next day. He might have felt a bit uncomfortable the following day, but it wasn’t until yesterday that he decided to get checked out.”

Snitker did not provide a timeline for Sale's potential return.

“This type of bone injury needs to heal before he can start the recovery process, but I don’t know how long that will take,” Snitker said.

The injured list placement is retroactive to Thursday. In response to this adjustment, left-hander Austin Cox has been recalled from Atlanta.

Sale (4-3, 2.77 ERA) had just completed his best start of the season—a shutout against the Mets, throwing 116 pitches over 8.2 innings. He has won three of his last four starts, going 2-1 this month with just 2 earned runs over 21.2 innings, resulting in an ERA of 0.83.

“This is a significant blow, but we come to the ballpark every day and strive for victory,” said today’s starting pitcher Grant Holmes, who allowed 5 hits over 5.2 innings without giving up a run to earn the win. “Honestly, it’s tough. He’s a vital part of the team and a great leader. We hope he can stay around and be with us. Chris Sale's presence in the clubhouse is invaluable; he’s a tremendous leader, teammate, and friend.”

20-year-old Didier Fuentes made his major league debut today after being recalled earlier from AAA Gwinnett. He is the youngest pitcher to start a major league game since Julio Urías of the Dodgers in 2019 and the youngest player to pitch for the Warriors since 1970.

As Atlanta's 10th-ranked rookie, Fuentes allowed 6 hits and 4 runs over five innings, striking out 3, as the Warriors lost 6-2 to the Marlins.

“We’ll just go with the five pitchers we have,” Snitker said. “I’m glad he got to make his debut, and I was impressed with how he handled everything. His composure and poise on the mound made it seem like he belonged there. During the breaks, I didn’t sense any panic from him. He’s a very impressive young man with great stuff... I think he has an unlimited future ahead of him.”