TORONTO – A 60-pitch, four-inning rehab outing offered Aaron Sanchez the test he needed before his pending return from the disabled list. It also provided peace of mind about throwing his curveball, which the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander has long lacked.
“That thing is so healed up now that you don’t feel much,” Sanchez, who rejoined the team Wednesday, said of the middle finger where he had a quarter of the nail removed to alleviate persistent blister troubles.
“For me, it’s the freedom of not even having to worry about it. There were so many times when I was out there not wanting to throw (the curveball) because I didn’t know if it was going to be an issue. Now that I can go out there and not even think about that and do it over and over again without having any problems. I think that’s what I’m most happy with.”
Sanchez is due to throw a side session Friday and, barring any setbacks, will come off the disabled list to start against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. The outing will be his first since he went only one inning April 30 against the Tampa Bay Rays after his fingernail split.
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Tuesday’s rehab game at extended spring training in Florida was pivotal in ensuring the finger could withstand the wear and tear and in rebuilding some of his physical base, given that his previous outing was April 14 against Baltimore.
While facing real opposition offered him much more than simply throwing a simulated game, Sanchez admitted it was still difficult for him to get too jazzed up about the level of competition he was facing.
“What I got out of that is I felt good. I threw everything. I threw everything for strikes,” he said. “The first inning out there my mechanics were a little rusty. I haven’t been out there in a while. The next three up and downs were good. I was pleased.”
“I was up four times. There were no issues,” he added. “Moving forward. I got no issues.”
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