The Miami Marlins on Monday told reporters that 22-year-old right-hander Sixto Sánchez will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery The decision was made after an MRI revealed a small tear in the posterior capsule of his right shoulder. The hope is that Sánchez will be fully recovered in time for spring training.
Sánchez has been sidelined all season with shoulder issues that stretch back to March. Toward the latter part of June, he appeared to be making progress, as he was able to extend his flat-ground throwing sessions to 75 feet. Now, though, comes the decision that Sánchez will not pitch at all in 2021.
The Marlins originally acquired Sánchez from the Phillies as part of the February 2019 trade that sent All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia. At the time, Sánchez was regarded as one of the top pitching prospects in the game, and during his rookie season of 2020 he delivered in line with expectations. Across seven regular season starts for the Marlins, Sánchez rode his power sinker to an ERA of 3.46 (132 ERA+) and a K/BB ratio of 3.00 with strong ground-ball tendencies. He also crafted a five-inning scoreless start against the Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series.
Needless to say, Sánchez's loss is a blow to a Marlins club that has much riding on its core of young arms.
