Sixto Sánchez will make his long-awaited return to the big leagues this season. On Friday, Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker announced Sánchez will be on the Opening Day roster (via the Miami Herald). Sánchez has battled numerous injuries in recent years and has not pitched in the majors since his standout rookie season in 2020.
"I'm very grateful for that chance (to pitch this spring) and that opportunity in keeping me here, and waiting for me to get back to the show and to the big league level," Sánchez told the Miami Herald earlier this week. "That just showed me that I've just gotta keep working and keep improving, and show that I can come back and do my job."
Still only 25, Sánchez appeared in just one minor-league game from 2021-23, and that was a one-inning start in Double-A last September. He's had multiple shoulder surgeries and setbacks these last few years, though he's been healthy this spring, and he's thrown the ball very well. Sánchez has allowed one hit in seven scoreless innings in spring training.
More encouraging than those seven scoreless innings is the quality of Sánchez's stuff. According to Statcast, his fastball has averaged 95.6 mph and topped out at 99.2 mph this spring. That's below his 2020 velocity, when he averaged 98.6 mph, but it's a very good sign Sánchez is throwing this hard after two shoulder surgeries and multiple setbacks.
Sánchez's regular-season role has not yet been determined but it appears he will begin the year in the bullpen. It should be noted he is out of minor-league options, meaning the Marlins must pass him through waivers to send him to Triple-A. That won't happen. Even after all the shoulder trouble, Sánchez would get claimed rather quickly.
The Marlins have been hit very hard by injuries this spring. Sandy Alcantara will miss the season after having Tommy John surgery in October, and this spring Miami has lost projected rotation members Edward Cabrera (shoulder impingement), Braxton Garrett (shoulder soreness), and Eury Pérez (elbow inflammation) to injury.
Opening Day starter Jesús Luzardo is expected to be followed in the rotation by reliever-turned-starter A.J. Puk, Trevor Rogers, Ryan Weathers, and Bryan Hoeing. The Marlins could ease Sánchez back into action with a light reliever's workload before building him back up into a starter later this year.
The Marlins went 84-78 and snuck into the postseason as a wild-card team last season. They lost Alcantara to Tommy John surgery and 36-homer man Jorge Soler to free agency, however, and their only notable offseason additions were Tim Anderson, Christian Bethancourt and Nick Gordon.
