Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale was ejected before the first pitch of Sunday's game against the New York Yankees [1, 2].
The incident removes a key starter from the Braves' rotation during a critical series in the Bronx. Such rare pre-game ejections disrupt team pitching strategies and highlight ongoing tensions between players and officiating crews.
Sale was tossed from the game by umpire Dan Merzel [2]. The ejection occurred at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026 [1, 2]. Reports said the confrontation began when Sale yelled at Merzel regarding a balk call made during the previous day's contest [3, 4, 5].
The dispute centered on a rare balk call from Saturday that allowed a run to score [6, 7]. That specific play contributed to a 5-4 loss for the Braves on Saturday [8]. Sale's frustration over the call persisted into Sunday, leading to the verbal altercation that prompted Merzel to remove him from the game before any play began [3, 4, 5].
Sale did not see a single pitch before his removal from the lineup. The Braves were forced to adjust their starting rotation on short notice to account for the loss of their ace. This marks a highly unusual start to a game, as ejections typically occur during active play rather than during the pre-game window.
“Chris Sale was ejected before the first pitch of Sunday's game”
This ejection underscores the volatility of player-umpire relations and the lasting impact of contested calls in high-stakes MLB games. By losing a starting pitcher before the first pitch, the Braves face a tactical disadvantage that may ripple through their pitching rotation for the remainder of the series.
