Atlanta Braves ace Chris Sale was scratched before his scheduled start in his team’s must-win Game 2 of Monday’s doubleheader against the visiting New York Mets because of back spasms.

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters after Atlanta’s 8-7 loss in Game 1 that Sale is day-to-day.

“If we could have him pitch, and it was safe, we would do that,” Anthopoulos said. “Regardless of where we want to go, we need him.”

Where the Braves want to go is the National League playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. They need to win Game 2 of Monday’s makeup home doubleheader to get there after the Mets won Game 1 to clinch the second of three NL wild cards.

A Braves loss would send the Arizona Diamondbacks to the playoffs.

Grant Holmes filled in for Sale on short notice. The right-handed reliever entered Monday 2-1 with a 3.78 ERA in 25 games six starts) in his first major league season.

Sale, a 14-year veteran in his first season with the Braves, is 18-3 with a major league-best 2.38 ERA across 29 starts. The left-hander has 225 strikeouts over 177 2/3 innings to lead the National League and is the favorite to win this year’s NL Cy Young Award.

–Field Level Media