Sanchez has surgery, aims for 2022 opener
The Marlins are hopeful Sixto Sanchez will be with the team when it opens the 2022 MLB season after he had surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Sanchez, who did not pitch this season because of a persistent shoulder issue, had surgery performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache to repair a capsular tear in his right shoulder and clean out the backside of the joint. The Marlins officially ruled out Sanchez for the season July 5 when they announced he would undergo season-ending surgery.
“We’re hoping that he’s with us Opening Day next year,” general manager Kim Ng said Wednesday before Miami closed out a three-game series with Washington at Nationals Park.
Sanchez will be able to work out other parts of his body throughout the remainder of the year, but there’s no specific timetable for when he’ll be able to start throwing or working out his right arm, Ng said.
The Marlins expect Sanchez to have a normal spring training as he eyes a return next season.
The starting pitcher is still the No. 1 prospect in the organization and the
No. 11 prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, despite not pitching at all this season.
Even though he still has rookie eligibility remaining, Sanchez was one of the most impressive firstyear players in the majors last year, making seven starts and posting a 3.46 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 11 walks in 39 innings to help the Marlins reach the postseason for the first time since 2003. He started two games in the playoffs, firing five shutout innings in a win against the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series, then giving up four earned runs in three innings of a blowout loss to the Atlanta Braves in the Division Series.
The flashes throughout 2020 were enough to give Sanchez an inside track at a rotation spot and make him one of the preseason favorites for an MLB
Rookie of the Year Award. Issues, however, arose right at the start of spring training, although they first had nothing to do with his health.
Sanchez missed the first few days of spring training when a visa issue delayed his return from the Dominican Republic, then a false positive test for COVID-19 forced him to miss a few days of camp in early March. He appeared in only three Grapefruit League games, throwing 124 pitches across eight innings, so Miami had him start the season at the alternate training site in Jacksonville to continue building toward joining the the Marlins.
Sanchez suffered his first major setback on the final day of March when he reported “slight discomfort” in his throwing shoulder after a simulated game. An MRI revealed “mild inflammation” in the back of his right shoulder. He threw from flat ground for about a month and a half before finally throwing another bullpen session in May, and Miami quickly shut him down again after he reported more shoulder discomfort.
“You’ve got to look at the big picture and hope that he has a very, very long career,” CEO Derek Jeter said July 6, “and this is just a minor setback.”
MARLINS PROMOTE PROSPECT NICK NEIDERT
With starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara on the bereavement list until at least Friday, Miami promoted pitcher Nick Neidert from Triple A Jacksonville to start in place of the former All-Star on Wednesday.
Neidert, 24, is the No. 9 prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com, and has appeared in five games this season with four starts and a 4.50 ERA.
The Marlins optioned outfielder Monte Harrison to Triple A Jacksonville as the corresponding move.
Neidert was the sixth pitcher to start in seven games since the All-Star break as injuries have piled up and left Miami with only one starter from their projected rotation to open the season. The rookie last appeared in a game July 13 and last appeared in the majors on July 8, pitching four shutout innings out of the bullpen in a loss to the
Los Angeles Dodgers. He also made three starts for the Marlins in April and a spot start in May.
“I think he left feeling pretty good,” manager Don Mattingly said.
While Alcantara should be back by next week, the Marlins are still seriously shorthanded in their starting rotation after starting pitcher Pablo Lopez landed on the 10-day injured list with a right rotator cuff strain Saturday.
With Sanchez and fellow pitcher Elieser Hernandez already on the 60-day IL, Miami was typically using at least one bullpen game per turn through the rotation andhad to do so twice in the past week.
With the Marlins needing a short-term replacement, Neidert could have a chance to remain in the rotation beyond Wednesday.
Jordan Holloway, who pitched five innings in relief Friday to get a win against the Philadelphia Phillies, could also be an option moving forward. The rookie began the season as Miami’s No. 22 prospect.
“We’re going to get a chance to obviously look at some guys,” Mattingly said. “Guys are going to get experience. They’re going to get chances, so we’ll see where it goes.”