Sanchez (shoulder) is expected to face hitters this week for the first time since March 2021, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.
The 24-year-old continues to take small steps forward in his recovery from 2021 shoulder surgery. Sanchez recently began throwing his slider again and tossed a 30-pitch bullpen session Saturday, but his fastball only reached 91 mph -- a far cry from the triple digits he flashed prior to his injury. "From our perspective, he's not having any issues with the shoulder," general manager Kim Ng said. "This is just a natural progression for him, so there's going to be some rust, of course. He'll still work all that out." On the bright side, Sanchez says he feels healthy, and while he's been frustrated with the pace of his recovery, he doesn't appear to be holding back on the mound and pitching like he's afraid of getting hurt again. "His work ethic has been great. We're excited. I know he feels great and he wants to be out there. It's just continuing his progression and being on him -- and I think his work ethic, right now, is he's ready to go," added Hector Crespo, the Marlins' director of Minor League operations. Without any further setbacks, Sanchez could compete for a spot in the Marlins' rotation next spring.