Sanchez finally going back to back to back
BOSTON— After months spent bouncing between the disabled list and the occasional outing, Aaron Sanchez is scheduled to make a third consecutive start Wednesday, the first time this season he has gone back to back to back.
The 25-year-old Blue Jays righthander has struggled with blisters on and off for more than two years, but manager John Gibbons expects Sanchez to be back to his old self now that he has a couple of outings under his belt. He led the American League with a 3.00 ERA in 2016.
“He looked good the other night, similar to when (J.A.) Happ first came back,” Gibbons said.
Sanchez was roughed up when he came off the disabled list 12 days ago, giving up eight runs, five earned, in 1 2/3 innings against Houston. But he rebounded in Detroit, allowing just one unearned run in six innings.
After seven games, Sanchez holds a 1-2 record with a 3.94 ERA.
He is scheduled to face Boston Red Sox’s lefty Drew Pomeranz on Wednesday.
LIRIANO LIKELY: Left-hander Francisco Liriano will likely take his regular turn in the rotation on Thursday, after he was pulled in the third inning of his most recent start with neck tightness.
“He threw a bullpen and felt really good, so that’s great news,” Gibbons said. “If he comes in tomorrow and feels great, he should be good to go. Body felt good.”
Liriano was originally expected to face Boston ace Chris Sale, but Sale’s start was pushed back to Friday after he threw 118 pitches against the New York Yankees on the weekend.
Gibbons was on board with the change to right-hander Doug Fister. Sale is 11-4 with a 2.59 ERA and an AL-leading 191 strikeouts. Fister is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA in four appearances. “Yeah, oh yeah. I didn’t mind that.”
SMITH SAILING: Reliever Joe Smith is expected to be activated from the disabled list Wednesday.
Smith, who was sidelined in late June with shoulder inflammation, pitched a perfect frame in the second game of a rehab assignment for Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, throwing 13 of 17 pitches for strikes.
Smith, who had a 3.41 ERA through the first two-and-a-half months of the season, was one of the main workhorses in the Blue Jays ’pen before his injury.
“You look at what Joe has done, shoot, Joe could have pitched in the all-star game the way he was pitching,” Gibbons said. “He was pitching a lot, he was dominating.”
His absence has meant more innings for the likes of Ryan Tepera, Danny Barnes and Dominic Leone. His return should lighten their load, Gibbons said.
“Now it just adds that one more guy, and now (Joe) Biagini’s down there, two very good pitchers in that role. Makes us that much stronger and you can stay away from certain guys, you don’t have to kill certain guys. I think that’s huge for us.”
BYE BYE BOGAERTS: Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts was a lastminute scratch Tuesday because of a sore right hand. He was hit by a pitch on that hand about two weeks ago and the problem has lingered.
Bogaerts was scheduled to go for an MRI on the hand on Tuesday. Boston manager John Farrell hoped it would prove to be nothing more than a day-to-day issue.