The Pittsburgh Pirates have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Angel Sanchez from Indianapolis. To make room for him on the 25-man roster, reliever Edgar Santana was optioned to Indianapolis. There was an open spot on the 40-man roster already, so no additional moves needed to be made.
Sanchez missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. When he got injured in August of 2015, he appeared to be on the verge of making his Major League debut. He was a starting pitcher at that time, but has been pitching in relief this season, topping out at three innings pitched.
Sanchez has a 3.74 ERA in 55.1 innings over 39 appearances, with 65 strikeouts and a 1.19 WHIP this season. He has been hitting 96-97 MPH consistently this season, which is higher than where he topped out as a starting pitcher. Sanchez relies on excellent control, with the ability to miss bats and get quick outs via ground balls. He has pitched much better recently, posting a 1.93 ERA since the All-Star break in early July.
Santana pitched two innings in last night’s game, so he would have been unavailable tonight. Sanchez pitched two days ago, but he has thrown just 13 pitches over the last week, so he should be available for long relief tonight. Santana will be able to return shortly after the September 1st call-ups begin, unless he’s replacing someone who was placed on the disabled list.
