ATLANTA -- Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale is a step closer to returning to Atlanta’s rotation.

The left-hander, who went on the 60-day injured list on June 21 (retroactive to June 19) after fracturing his rib cage on a diving play during a June 18 game against the Mets, threw his first live batting practice session since his injury on Thursday afternoon ahead of Atlanta’s series opener against Miami at Truist Park.

Sale threw 30 pitches (two simulated innings) off the mound and faced two hitters -- a righty and a lefty.

“Today was a good box to check after kind of a long layoff,” Sale said. “When you go through something like this, the most important thing is feeling good afterwards. I was able to throw a lot of strikes, too. We’ll see what [Friday] brings and we’ll go from there.

See Full Page