Sixto Sánchez lands on 15-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation

[Kevin Barral]

After a rough start to the season, Sánchez has suffered an injury to the same shoulder that kept him out for the last three seasons.

MIAMI, FL—Sixto Sánchez's comeback attempt experienced another setback on Sunday when the Miami Marlins pitcher was placed on the 15-day IL due to right shoulder inflammation. The corresponding move was to recall Emmanuel Ramirez from Triple-A Jacksonville.

Sánchez was rated as one of MLB's top prospects when he debuted for the Marlins in 2020 and contributed to their postseason run. He initially injured his right shoulder in 2021. Between 2021 and 2023, he did not pitch in a Major League game, limited to just one Double-A Pensacola rehab appearance. This season, Sánchez surprisingly made the Marlins Opening Day roster as a reliever, then moved into the starting rotation in late April. Overall, he is 0-3 with a 6.06 ERA, 4.72 FIP, 4.29 K/9 and 3.53 BB/9 through 35 ⅔ innings pitched and seven starts.

In his last start against the Texas Rangers on Friday night, Sánchez went four innings, giving up two runs off of four hits and one walk. Sánchez didn't record a single strikeout nor whiff. His fastball was averaging 90.0 mph, a significant dip from his season average of 93.8 mph. All of his pitches were down in velocity as well.

"We gotta figure out honestly what's going on with the velo," said manager Skip Schumaker following Friday's game. "It just doesn't look like it's coming out like it should."

In spring training, Sánchez topped out at 99 mph while being used in one-to-two inning appearances. That did not translate to the regular season as he recorded less swing-and-miss than any other Marlins pitcher, even when working as a reliever.

The biggest struggle for Sánchez has been the first inning. Even including his Rangers start where he escaped without allowing any runs, his first-inning ERA is 16.71. Meanwhile, his ERA is under two in the second and third innings before climbing again as he gets deeper into the game. Sánchez completed five innings only once and his highest pitch count was 85.

At this point in his career, Sixto Sánchez is not a major league starting pitcher. It seems as if the organization could give Sánchez a chance to come back in a bullpen role later this season, but if he doesn't show improvement while rehabbing, it's possible they could just cut ties and DFA the final piece of the J.T. Realmuto trade. In all likelihood, Sánchez will clear waivers and can be outrighted to AAA-Jacksonville where they can have him as an organizational filler.

Once Sánchez's turn in the rotation comes up next, right-hander Roddery Muñoz will probably be recalled, Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports.

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[One Regend]

They only started Sixto Sanchez out of necessity, because they literally do not have any other good choices. If I had to guess, they would've much preferred him to come out of the bullpen.

Even still, his lack of whiff ability, something he had a problem with even in his rookie season in 2020, means he's also very limited in his role as a reliever too. Sure, he can induce ground balls, but there's only so much he can do when he can't strike out batters.

Now, granted, his 4.70 FIP means he still pitched a lot better than his over-6 ERA suggests, but I still would not count on him as a reliable asset by any means. If anything, I think in that Rangers game, he may have thrown the last pitch for the Marlins. Once he's elligible to come off the IL (if he doesn't have another setback and require shoulder surgery, which, considering his history, could happen again), he will likely be a DFA candidate. I can forsee a pitching-starved team like the Chicago White Sox taking a chance on him.

Again, I'm not going to count out a career renaissance for Sixto Sanchez. But it certainly won't be in a Marlins uniform, that's for sure.