Braves to start Chris Sale on extra rest in NLDS Game 3 vs Dodgers

Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss confirmed that starting pitcher Chris Sale will receive extra rest ahead of Game 3 of their National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Sale will be accompanied by reliever Ray Kerr, who started Game 2 and struck out two batters in a scoreless innings. Kerr, who missed the entire 2025 season and the beginning of this year due to Tommy John surgery, will allow Sale five days of recovery before Game 4 on Wednesday.

Sale finished the regular season with a 14-9 record and a 2.16 ERA, while his four-seam fastball velocity reached a career high of 96.1 mph. The 37-year-old often received extra rest, which helped him maintain his performance. The Braves are set to face Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the 2025 World Series MVP, in Game 3 at Truist Park.