News on injured Miami Marlins pitcher

It is a trade that now lives in infamy in the hearts of Miami Marlins fans. A return that seems to always be a year away... I'm of course talking about injured Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sixto Sanchez. There is now an update on him. When will he finally pitch? What does the future hold for him with The Fish? What does Kim Ng plan to do with him? I'll answer these questions here...

The Miami Marlins are no longer high on Sixto Sanchez.

Sixto Sanchez hasn't been pitching since the 2020 season. The 2020 season. He delivered a 3.46 ERA/3.50 FIP with 7.6 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 in 7 games and 39.0 innings pitched. That was a promising performance, but that was also three years ago. Injuries kept Sixto from pitching in the Major Leagues since. Shoulder problems were especially the issue. He twice had shoulder surgery since July 2021.

It seemed that Sixto might come back in Spring Training, but that of course didn't happen. He's currently in extended Spring Training and has experienced shoulder soreness. The good news is that he's back to playing catch already. The Miami Marlins actually don't even expect Sixto Sanchez back until August or September (!). This is pretty chocking, as this would mean that he's basically missing most of this season.

The Miami Marlins no longer see Sixto Sanchez as an important part of the roster going forward. You can't really blame Kim Ng for this, as who knows how Sixto will perform in the Major Leagues after a three year break. Can he even be trusted to stay healthy and be a starting pitcher going forward? Is it better to have him be a relief pitcher now?

There is an added wrinkle to the Sixto Sanchez situation. The Fish kept Sixto on the 40-man roster and the Minor League IL this whole time. Putting him on the Major League Il, requires paying him the MLB minimum salary. Players can also only be optioned back to the Minors three times in their careers. There are exceptions, and The Fish have a fourth option on him for 2023. This means that the team can't demote him to the Minors in 2024 without first passing him through waivers.

Time will tell what happens with Sixto Sanchez, but the outlook is increasingly negative.