Detroit Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez aims to return on Sunday
By Brad Rowland
Detroit Tigers right-hander Anibal Sanchez has not appeared in a Major League game since leaving a start on April 26th as a result of a blister, but if everything stays on course, he could return to the hill on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox.
Chris Lott of MLive.com reports on the latest from Sanchez:
"The Detroit Tigers will not make a final decision regarding when Anibal Sanchez returns to the starting rotation until Tuesday. But everything went well for Sanchez on Monday when he threw 60 pitches in a simulated game.Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said no final determination will be made until the Tigers see how Sanchez feels Tuesday. But Sanchez expects to feel fine Tuesday and to start Sunday night against the Boston Red Sox.“Everything feels good,” Sanchez said."
The 30-year-old Sanchez is coming off of a career year in 2013 (2.57 ERA, 9.99 K/9 over 182 innings) and he was quite effective to start this season (3.13 ERA, 9.39 K/9 over 23 innings) before the latest issue with the blister. Because everything went well in the simulated game, there is real reason to believe that he’ll be available by the weekend, and that is exceedingly encouraging.
With Detroit in the driver’s seat in the AL Central with a 22-12 record, there is little incentive to rush Sanchez along, but if he’s right, he is one of the better pitchers in what can be a scary rotation.