Sanchez likely to miss first two series

Disabled list looms for ailing batting champ, Grabow

Monday, March 26, 2007

By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates likely will not have Freddy Sanchez for the season's first two series, and they almost surely will be without John Grabow for the same span or longer.

Sanchez, the National League batting champion, said yesterday he was becoming "frustrated" by a sprained right knee that resulted from a second-base collision March 6. He took at-bats in a minor-league game March 20 but has not faced live pitching since then.

His timetable for doing so again?

"There is no timetable," Sanchez replied.

Moreover, Sanchez's work in the field has been limited to turning double plays from a stationary stance, and his baserunning has been home-to-first only, nothing that requires a turn.

General manager Dave Littlefield said the Pirates "would consider" placing Sanchez and Grabow -- out with an ailing left elbow -- on the 15-day disabled list if there is no improvement soon. The team probably would backdate the listing, he added, so the players can return as soon as possible.

Major League Baseball rules allow teams to backdate a maximum seven days of spring training. In this case, because of an off day Sunday and another April 5, Sanchez and Grabow would miss all of the Pirates' season-opening road trip -- three games each in Houston and Cincinnati -- but be eligible to return for the home opener April 9.

Neither has given up on starting the season on time.

Sanchez was back at Pirate City yesterday taking more cuts in the batting cage. But, as he acknowledged, swinging is not the concern. He continues to feel pain on the inside of his knee when moving to his left out of a defensive stance, and he still does not feel strong enough to run.

Even so ...

"I'm hoping," he said.

Manager Jim Tracy said the Pirates would need to be convinced not only that Sanchez's knee is fine, but also that it no longer is on his mind.

"With the type of player Freddy is, with his style, he needs to be able to go all-out," Tracy said.

Grabow yesterday described marked improvement in the elbow that has kept him from pitching since March 11.

"It's much, much better," he said.

Still, there remains no date for Grabow to make his first bullpen session, which will provide the most telling measure. He would need to pitch in a game or two in spring training to show he is ready for Houston, and only six games remain.

"With a hitter, we can send him to minor-league camp and get him 10 at-bats a day," Littlefield said. "With a pitcher, it's different because we can't get him 10 innings."

If Sanchez is out, the Pirates will replace him with Jose Castillo at second base. Castillo made his seventh start at second yesterday in the 12-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays yesterday at McKechnie Field.

Sanchez's No. 3 spot in the batting order probably would go to Jason Bay, who had been expected to hit fifth behind Adam LaRoche. But it also is possible that Xavier Nady could hit third, as he did yesterday, and LaRoche and Bay would stay put.

The Pirates apparently have decided that Grabow's place in the bullpen would go to Juan Perez, though that will not be announced until Grabow is placed on the disabled list.

Perez, a 28-year-old waiver claim from the New York Mets in August, has not allowed an earned run in eight spring appearances while striking out nine and walking none. He has appeared dominant at times, with a fastball touching 95 mph and a biting slider.

Asked if Perez has surprised him this spring, Tracy replied, "Yes, he has. He was erratic at times last year, but we haven't seen that here. He's making hitters look uncomfortable."


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(Dejan Kovacevic can be reached at dkovacevic@post-gazette.com. )