Fansided

Yankees finally get good news about Gary Sanchez

By Rucker Haringey

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees bats during the game against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Gary Sanchez #24 of the New York Yankees bats during the game against the New York Mets at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images) /
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Gary Sanchez may not be as important to the Yankees as Aaron Judge, but his return from injury should still be a boost for Aaron Boone’s lineup.

Heading into the season, many MLB executives quietly believed Gary Sanchez was the Yankees’ best hitter. Those predictions haven’t come true, but injuries have been a big reason for his struggles. The good news is that Sanchez may be getting healthy at the right time.

The talented catcher finally made his return to the diamond in a rehab start with the Gulf Coast League Yankees on Saturday. He went 0-for-3 with a walk, but the important thing for the organization is that he reported no pain after the game. That means Sanchez is on schedule to continue his rehab schedule in Florida and then in Scranton within the next week.

If all goes well, Sanchez could be ready to rejoin the big league club for the Sept. 3 road trip to Oakland. It’s unclear how often he’ll be able to catch down the stretch, but the Yankee lineup can clearly benefit from the return of his bat. Even though he wasn’t hitting for average earlier in the season, his power numbers were still allowing him to produce runs for the team.

Production at the catcher position hasn’t fallen off a cliff in Sanchez’s absence. Austin Romine and Kyle Higashioka have picked up the slack during his stint on the disabled list. Romine should stay with the club as Sanchez’s primary backup, but Higashioka may lose his spot in the Bronx. He’s given solid effort over the last several weeks, but his weaknesses at the plate have been exposed against quality major league pitching.

When Sanchez does return, look for the organization to make a concerted effort to ease him back into the lineup. Romine will still get a lot of time behind the plate. The priority will be making sure Sanchez is 100 percent ready to produce in October. The team won’t push him to play every day during September.

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His return will still be a massive step in the right direction for the Yankees. If he can get hot down the stretch, it could help the team enter the postseason with serious momentum. Sanchez has the talent to carry the Yankees offense to success against elite pitching. That’s a very useful player to have in the lineup during the playoffs.

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