There hasn't been a problem in the Atlanta Braves' 2025 season that fans haven't attempted to blame on manager Brian Snitker. Some of this has been earned with Snitker refusing to pivot away from veteran pieces that aren't working. There was also the unfortunate drama around Jarred Kelenic refusing to hustle and Snitker not dealing with the problem well.
However, things have reached a new level of silliness with some fans attempting to blame the manager for putting Chris Sale back on the mound ahead of his ninth-inning injury.
Sale suffered the injury diving to get a grounder off the bat of Juan Soto. The dive for the ball broke a rib and will leave the veteran on the shelf for weeks to come. With the high level of fan frustration, it isn't a surprise that it didn't take long for some to sound off on Snitker's decision to put Sale back on the mound north of 100 pitches.
It is important to note that many of these same fans were unhappy with the manager's decision to pull the pitcher a few moments after the injury, while only one out away from a complete game shutout.
Braves Fans Won't Allow Brian Snitker to Win
This is where things are a bit unfair and simply a reflection of an incredibly frustrated Atlanta fan base. It doesn't matter what decisions Snitker makes; there is going to be a heavy level of skepticism.
While it is important to note the veteran manager's mistakes, this isn't one of them. Sale wasn't coming off the mound with how well the pitcher was rolling, and the unique circumstances needed for the rib fracture were wildly unpredictable.
Sale's dominating style demanded that the veteran manager give his pitcher a chance to complete the game. Making the choice to blame Snitker for an injury is a reach born out of frustration from a miserable 2025 season. Just when it seemed the team was turning a corner, they lost their best pitcher and dropped the series opener to the Marlins.
It was a brutal reminder of how this season has gone and how impactful Sale has been. With this in mind, any frustration placed on Snitker is unfair and simply out of bounds. The manager is far from perfect, but his accomplishments should earn some level of patience. It certainly should push blaming freak injuries on the veteran manager way out of bounds.
Injuries are a part of the game, and sadly for Atlanta, there simply isn't anyone to blame for Sale's injury.