Chris Sale was hesitant to discuss how good he’s feeling after another strong start for the Atlanta Braves.

“I wish you guys would stop talking about it,” he admonished reporters with a smile, tapping the table he was sitting at. “Is this thing made of wood?”

It’s understandable that Sale wouldn’t want to jinx himself after all the injuries he endured with the Boston Red Sox.

Once one of the game’s most dominant pitchers, the guy with the funky motion and nasty stuff, Sale managed just 31 starts over the past four seasons, spending far more time in the training room than he did on the mound.

Desperate for starting pitching, the Braves decided to take a chance on the 35-year-old left-hander, acquiring him from the Red Sox in late December for prospect Vaughn Grissom.

So far, so good.

Sale (3-1) allowed just two hits over seven innings in a 6-2 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Friday night — marking the third start in a row that he’s gone that far.

If that doesn’t sound all that impressive, consider this : It’s the first time since June 19-30, 2018, that Sale has lasted seven innings over three consecutive appearances.

“I really put a lot of emphasis on strengthening my shoulder and getting stronger and just being healthy,” he said. ”I owed it to whatever team I was pitching for.”

Sale’s performance over the first month of the season has been a big boost for the Braves, who lost their ace starter, Spencer Strider, to a season-ending injury.

Hurting Mets make series of roster moves

The banged-up New York Mets are minus two more important players after putting reliever Drew Smith on the 15-day injured list and right fielder Starling Marte on the bereavement list Saturday.

The team recalled infielder Mark Vientos and right-hander Dedniel Núñez from Triple-A Syracuse before the middle game of its weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Marte went home to the Dominican Republic for family reasons. He is expected to miss three days, manager Carlos Mendoza said. Smith will be out longer after an MRI showed inflammation in his pitching shoulder.

The right-hander was placed on the IL retroactive to Wednesday, and the Mets hope he can return as soon as he’s eligible.

“We don’t think it’s anything serious,” Mendoza said.

Smith is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and one save in 10 appearances this season. After making his debut in 2018, he is the longest-tenured pitcher on the Mets.

Marte is batting .288 with four homers, 12 RBIs, six stolen bases and 16 runs. The club’s No. 2 hitter reached 1,500 career hits Friday night.

New York also has placed starting catcher Francisco Alvarez (left thumb surgery), key reliever Brooks Raley (left elbow inflammation) and pitcher Tylor Megill (strained right shoulder) on the injured list since the season began.

No. 1 starter Kodai Senga won’t make his 2024 debut until May 27 or later because of a capsule strain in his right shoulder, and left-hander David Peterson is working his way back from offseason surgery for a torn labrum in his left hip.