After two lost years, a slimmer Sixto Sanchez feels closer to Miami Marlins return
Sixto Sanchez doesn’t try to hide it anymore.
It has been nearly 28 months since he has pitched in a game that matters, 28 months of trials and tribulations and setbacks, 28 months that the Miami Marlins pitcher with top-end talent has had to bide his time. Two shoulder injuries, both of which ultimately required surgery, have kept him sidelined far longer than he wished.
“It was very, very hard for me the last couple of years,” Sanchez said Friday. “You watch the games, you see your teammates playing and you really want to be there. The frustration was really high and it wasn’t easy for me to maintain a positive attitude. It was really hard because it was just setback after setback and just trying to come back and trying to maintain that positive energy. It was very difficult, but thank goodness we’re where we are right now and looking forward.”
Sanchez, 24, feels he’s finally close to where he needs to be to contribute to the Marlins and try to make up for lost time.
He isn’t 100 percent yet — “85 percent,” Sanchez said — but he is trending in the right direction as spring training begins next week.
“I’m preparing to participate in spring training,” Sanchez said.
How did he get to this point?
Start with his physique. Sanchez said he has lost 46 pounds, going from 260 to 214.
“I feel very light right now,” Sanchez said.
Continue with his mound work. He has thrown five bullpen sessions already this offseason and is working to improve his velocity. Sanchez said his fastball was hitting about 88 mph during his last session.
“He looks good, loose, fluid,” said catcher Nick Fortes, who caught Sanchez’s first bullpen session. “I like where he’s at.”
The goal now is actually continuing that progress and getting it to the mound in a game that counts — something he hasn’t done since his National League Division Series start against the Atlanta Braves on Oct. 8, 2020.
After pitching in all of spring training in 2021, Sanchez experienced “slight discomfort” in his throwing shoulder that ultimately ended with him needing to have surgery to repair a capsular tear in his right shoulder and clean out the backside of the joint.
And then last season, Sanchez didn’t even pitch during spring training because of recurring shoulder discomfort.
He rehabbed throughout the season and got to the point where he was facing live hitters only to experience another setback. He had surgery in October for right shoulder arthroscopic bursectomy.
“It’s kind of up to him and his progression,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “I’ve only seen Sixto on video. It’s been a slow rehab and I don’t think anybody is as frustrated as Sixto. He wants to pitch here. It’s kind of up to our training staff and his progression and you don’t want to fast forward it too much. I know he probably does, but you have to slow play it so we can get this guy right.”
Physically, he had to wait to get back on the mound. Mentally, he tried to stay positive.
“Just that desire of being back on the field and helping this team try to win some games,” Sanchez said.
The next month will be critical in that plan.
This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 2:24 PM.
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