Miami Marlins Not Rushing Anibal Sanchez

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen told Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald yesterday that starting pitcher Anibal Sanchez still has a ways to go before he pitches this spring.  The Marlins are in no rush to get Sanchez back on the mound.  Sanchez has been sidelined since last Friday after he experienced tightness in his right shoulder.

Guillen told Navarro that the Marlins are “not going to put a guy out there just because”.  Guillen continued by saying that when Sanchez is ready to pitch, “he’ll pitch”.  At this point, Sanchez is feeling “kind of sore”.  Guillen finished by reminding Navarro that “no matter how much you workout in the winter – you don’t throw a baseball – you have to go through conditioning”.

Sanchez is expected to play an integral role as a member of the Marlins 2012 rotation.  Over the past two seasons, Sanchez has made at least 32 starts per year for the Marlins while posting an ERA and WHIP near 3.60 and 1.300 over that span.

The Marlins are still planning on Sanchez starting the season as a member of their Opening Day rotation, and the right-hander is expected to throw today.  Still, if Sanchez faces another setback and isn’t able to build up his arm in time for the regular season, Navarro said the Marlins could look to alternatives such as Alex Sanabia, Sean West, Tom Koehler and Wade LeBlanc.

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