MILWAUKEE -- Marlins right-hander Sixto Sánchez made his long-awaited return to the mound on Tuesday, nearly three years after his last appearance in the Majors.

S¨¢nchez tossed one inning in a rehab appearance at Double-A Pensacola. It was his first game action since the 2020 NLDS, though he made three appearances in 2021 Spring Training.

Since finishing seventh in 2020 NL Rookie of the Year voting, S¨¢nchez has been beset by right shoulder injuries. His shoulder initially started bothering him in March 2021, when he was the No. 15-ranked prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline.

S¨¢nchez has since undergone surgery twice -- in July 2021 and last October. He¡¯s spent the past few years rehabbing at the Marlins¡¯ Spring Training complex in Jupiter and joined Double-A Pensacola over the weekend.

He struck out two batters Tuesday, allowing a single and a walk.

S¨¢nchez made seven starts as a rookie in 2020, finishing with a 3.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 39 innings. He threw five scoreless innings in the Marlins¡¯ series-clinching win over the Cubs in the 2020 NL Wild Card Series.

It¡¯s been a long and challenging road since then, but Tuesday was a key moment in his journey to get back to Miami.