Sánchez shines, shimmies in return to MLB mound

JUPITER, Fla. -- A former top Marlins pitching prospect took the mound for Saturday afternoon’s 4-1 Grapefruit League win over the Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

No, I’m not just talking about Eury Pérez.

Right-hander Sixto Sánchez tossed a perfect fifth inning on 14 pitches (10 strikes) while facing Jose Iglesias, Taylor Kohlwey and DJ Stewart in his first Major League action in three years. He maxed out at 95.3 mph and struck out Stewart looking on a curveball to end the frame, then walked off the mound doing his trademark shoulder shimmy.

“That's what I like,” Sánchez said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “If I don't do that, I feel like I'm not pitching at all. So I love to have fun, be out there, and that makes me happy.”

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It has been a long road to regaining that swagger for the 25-year-old Sánchez, who ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 15 overall prospect entering the 2021 season. He was a frontrunner for the National League Rookie of the Year Award after compiling a 132 ERA+ in seven starts and throwing five scoreless innings in the 2020 NL Wild Card Series clincher at Wrigley Field. According to his scouting report at the time, his combination of stuff and command meant he had the potential to become Miami’s best starter since the late José Fernández.

But Sánchez’s right shoulder began giving him trouble on March 31, 2021, while appearing in a simulated game to build up his pitch count before meeting the big league club for its first road series. From then on, it has been setback after setback.

An MRI revealed a small tear in the posterior capsule of Sánchez’s right shoulder, so he underwent season-ending arthroscopic surgery in July 2021. The discomfort resurfaced following a sim game on Aug. 17, 2022, which led to arthroscopic bursectomy surgery on Oct. 5, 2022.

As a result, Sánchez became a rehab regular in Jupiter, where Saturday’s return took place. He finally pitched in a game on Sept. 12, 2023, tossing one inning for Double-A Pensacola. He struck out two batters, allowing a single and a walk. However, Sánchez’s scheduled bullpen session on Sept. 15 and another outing of one or two innings on Sept. 17 were scrapped.

“Last night, I was thinking about it, thinking, ‘How am I going to pitch?’” Sánchez said. “Everything went well, thank goodness. My teammates, they were telling me, ‘Let's go, let's do this. You can do this.’”

In Saturday’s outing, Sánchez’s first offering clocked at just 88.7 mph. According to Baseball Savant, he ranked in the 98th percentile in average fastball velocity (97.6 mph) and offspeed run value (7), in the 96th percentile in chase percentage (35.3%) and in the 93rd percentile in ground-ball percentage (58%) in 2020.

“I think he started feeling better as the inning went on,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “I think the first pitch was 89 or 90, and then he ended around 94-95. I don't know if he felt like he didn't trust it at the beginning. A lot of offspeed pitches: changeup, curveball, changeup, curveball, and then he kind of let one go, and I think it probably felt OK.

“Then he started letting go the rest of the outing, and you could see his confidence kind of building on the mound -- whether it's actions or some fist pumps and that type of stuff, which was kind of cool. He hasn't thrown in a live setting in a long time. So, really cool moment for him.

“I know he's worked hard to get back here, and a lot of people have been wondering when that was going to happen. And so to see it finally happen for a lot of fans -- I didn't have a history with him -- so for me to see it, it was still special, and hopefully he keeps trending this way.”

It’s crunch time for Sánchez, who is out of Minor League options and must make the Opening Day roster. Miami already received an exemption last spring because of his injury history. That’s unlikely to happen this time around.

Building up Sánchez to be a starter would take longer, and time isn’t on his side. Could a relief role be in the cards in order to help him make the club?

“I don't know,” Schumaker said. “We're going to see how he feels tomorrow, and that's kind of the plan, to see how he recovers first, and then we'll figure it out later.”