SANCHEZ WON’T LINGER ON THE TROUBLE WITH HIS FINGER
Blue Jays GM says when it comes to blisters, ignorance isn’t bliss: ‘Clarity is a good thing’
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Sanchez sat inside manager John Gibbons’ office answering questions about his injury and being shut down for the rest of the 2017 season.
“Good job,” Gibbons said after Sanchez finished, looking at his star right-hander like a proud father watching his son deliver a commencement speech.
Sanchez did do a good job clarifying why blisters kept cropping up on his right middle finger this year. Turns out the root of the problem is a pulley strain in the ligament in the middle finger and with rest, the problem should finally be resolved. At least that is the latest diagnosis from Dr. Thomas Graham, a specialist in New York.
But there were times during his sit-down, held before Monday’s game at the Rogers Centre against the division rival Baltimore Orioles, when Sanchez’s frustration rose to the surface. He dropped an S-bomb at one point and barely seemed able to control his irritation.
He kept it together, though who could blame Sanchez if he did cuss and look just plain miserable? He has every right to be gloomy. This is a 24-year-old kid coming off a breakout season where he went 15-2 with an American League-leading 3.00 ERA, and there was every indication 2017 would be equally huge, if not better. But then blisters began to appear on his finger. Not a hamstring tear or a rotator cuff injury — it was a series of stupid blisters on his right middle finger, and that landed him on the DL four frustrating times as he struggled to come back and pitch. How could Sanchez not be frustrated? Basically the best thing about Sanchez’s year was the airline commercial he did with that cute puppy. It was a season lost just as he was moving into his prime, a season he will never get back.
“It is what it is,” Sanchez said when asked about his frustration level.
“I’m not going to beat myself up over it. I can’t control that my finger is the way it is. I can’t control that I’ve been getting blisters. I mean, like I said, this game is already hard enough to get guys out. If I’m going to complain about this, I’ll drive myself crazy. That’s one thing I’m not going to do.”
Sanchez and Jays general manager Ross Atkins said time is the solution and Sanchez won’t pick up a ball until the finger is totally healed. They’re confident that will happen before spring training next year.
“It’s never a relief when you have a ligament tendon issue in any part of your body, but at the same time, clarity is a good thing to have,” Atkins said. “We’re confident that Aaron will return to full form.”
Atkins said the organization will continue to gather as much information as possible in its efforts to help Sanchez exorcise his blister demons.
“Our strategy has always been work with the information that we have and continue to learn, not make assumptions that what we know is right, stay open-minded, continue to gather information, look for different ways and avenues to make the best decisions and include the player in the process,” Atkins said. “This is not something where there’s a ton of research around. There’s not something that is a quick fix. It’s a matter of trying to work with the player and come up with the best solutions that help put him in the position to have success.”
Sanchez refused to put the blame on the balls MLB is using now, though numerous pitchers have complained about them, including Sanchez’s teammate Marcus Stroman. Atkins said MLB is continuing to research the balls at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the Jays are confident that if there is a problem, it will be addressed.
“I’ve had blisters before, so I’m not going to blame the ball as being the issue,” Sanchez said.
And then he got up and left.
I’m not going to beat myself up over it. … This game is already hard enough to get guys out. If I’m going to complain about this, I’ll drive myself crazy.