KANSAS CITY — Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with the Dunedin Blue Jays as he continues to work his way back from blister issues on the middle finger of his right hand.
Sanchez threw a live batting practice session Thursday in Dunedin that Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said went well. The club is planning to have Sanchez make two rehab outings before returning to the majors.
If he’s kept on a normal, five-day schedule, the second start would happen on Sunday, July 2. That would then put Sanchez in position to return to Toronto’s rotation during the club’s final series before the all-star break versus the Houston Astros.
“We’ll kind of see where he’s at,” Gibbons said. “You’d figure [two rehab outings] should be enough. But we’ll see, though.”
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Sanchez hasn’t pitched in a game since May 19, when he gave up six hits and three runs in a start against Baltimore. He’s spent the last five weeks attempting to allow his persistent finger ailments to completely heal in the hopes of putting the issues behind him and remaining in the Blue Jays’ rotation through the end of the season.
That would certainly be a boost for his club, as Sanchez was one of the best pitchers in all of baseball last season, leading the American League in ERA (3.00) over 192 innings pitched.
“He may be a little rusty — he’s been off a while,” Gibbons said. “But we’ll get the golden boy back, hopefully.”
