Blister-free Sanchez looks forward to contributing again

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. — A handful of reporters waiting outside Toronto’s clubhouse midway through the Blue Jays’ 6-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves here on Monday received an exuberant welcome from pitcher Aaron Sanchez as he made his way off the field.

The right hander was obviously riding a high from his sixth start of spring training, a day where he dominated through 6 1/3 innings, giving up two hits and two runs, one earned, while allowing no walks and pitching four strikeouts.

It is rare for a postgame chat with Sanchez not to touch on the dreaded B-word, after blisters derailed his 2017 season. But with every spring start, the injury gets pushed further into the rear-view mirror.

“I’m finally free,” Sanchez said. “I get to go out there and compete with no cage on me. I felt like last year I was in a little bit of a cage, not being able to go out and do the things that I was able to do the year before, at a high level like I was because my finger didn’t co-operate the way it did.”

He is stronger mentally after, hopefully, coming out on the other side of a two-plus year battle with the niggling issue.

“It’s like man, that’s what happened,” he said. “I can’t change what happened. Yeah, I lived and I learned, but I don’t hold grudges like that.”

He is gung-ho about baseball after being away so long. Sanchez talks about the tasks that would be considered part of his job — because even major league pitchers are working — like he is doing them for pleasure. After trying to treat Monday’s outing like a regular season game, he believes there is room for improving on the 74-pitch, 43-strikes, afternoon.

There’s being ready from pitch No. 1 rather than tinkering around on the mound early, something he excelled at during his days in the bullpen and is looking to replicate.

Then there’s staying in his delivery, finding the bottom of the strike zone, continue to refine his changeup, his curveball.

“Whatever I can do to get my game on point, that’s what I’ve got to do,” he said.