NewsSanchez eager to return to action
Pittsburgh (37-44) at Florida (42-40), 1:10 p.m. ET
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com
07/04/09 9:40 PM ET
MIAMI -- Freddy Sanchez sat out again on Saturday as he continues to deal with spasms in the lower right side of his back. Manager John Russell won't make a determination on Sanchez's status for Sunday's series finale until shortly before game time, but it seems unlikely that Sanchez will start, given his condition and the quick turnaround from Saturday night to Sunday's day game. "This is not a good time for it to happen," Sanchez said. "We're right there in the [National League] Central. We want to make a push. It's tough, but I'm hoping to be out there. Once this thing calms down and gets out of there, I want to get out there as soon as I can." Sanchez confirmed that he is not dealing with a pulled muscle, but that he has been bothered by spasms and tightness since stepping out of a cab at Land Shark Stadium on Friday. The second baseman continues to get treatment, though rest will ultimately help it relax. Sanchez has stayed away from swinging a bat since Friday, which makes his status as a pinch-hitter questionable as well. If Sanchez is unable to go against the Marlins on Sunday, Ramon Vazquez will make another start at second. Entering Sunday, Vazquez had started four consecutive games. He spelled both Andy LaRoche and Sanchez each a day of rest at the conclusion of the last homestand before filling in for Sanchez again in the first two games here. Vazquez had not previously started that many games in a row this season. The consistent playing time seems to have done Vazquez some good, too; he followed a two-hit game on Thursday with his first home run of the season on Friday. "It's easier to make adjustments when you have at-bats under your belt and can go out the next day and try and fix what you did before," Vazquez said. "You can go out there and see more pitches, and you know you're going to get more pitches. It's not like pinch-hitting, where you get one chance and then it's the next day. It's coming along." Vazquez went 1-for-3 on Saturday. The concern in Sanchez's absence is that the Pirates don't have another true backup middle infielder, should something happen to Vazquez or Wilson. Still, Russell is hopeful that Sanchez's tightness won't linger past the weekend, allowing the second baseman to return to the lineup when Pittsburgh heads to Houston. Pitching matchupPIT: RHP Ross Ohlendorf (7-6, 4.41 ERA)
Ohlendorf delivered what he described as his most complete performance of the season his last time out on Tuesday, when he tossed seven scoreless innings against the Cubs while striking out a career-best eight. He was able to rely heavily on his slider, a pitch that Ohlendorf has tended to overthrow at times this season. That slider helped the effectiveness of his fastball, which in turn allowed Ohlendorf to be more efficient than he has been most of the year. One of Ohlendorf's best starts this season came against the Marlins back on April 20, when he pitched seven shutout innings and allowed two hits. FLA: RHP Ricky Nolasco (5-6, 5.99 ERA)
Nolasco picked up his fifth win of the season after throwing eight innings in which he held Washington to two runs on four hits while striking out eight and walking none. The Nationals hit several balls hard off Nolasco early, including a Ryan Zimmerman solo homer in the second, but the right-hander settled into a groove. After a rocky second inning, Nolasco got stronger as the game went on, allowing just one runner to reach base and retiring 10 in a row between the fourth and seventh innings. Bucs bits
Catcher Ryan Doumit went 0-for-5 playing as the designated hitter in a Gulf Coast League game on Saturday. Afterward, Doumit left for Indianapolis, where he will continue his rehab work with the Triple-A team beginning on Sunday. Though Doumit isn't expected back until after the All-Star break, there is still an outside possibility that he'll be able to return for the series in Philadelphia just before the break. ... Pittsburgh's two Indian pitchers, Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, each made their professional debuts on Saturday. Singh allowed two hits and one run and struck out one in one inning for the GCL Pirates. Patel needed just eight pitches to get through a perfect inning of relief. He struck out one. ... Top prospect Pedro Alvarez returned to the lineup for Double-A Altoona on Friday after missing four days with tendinitis in his left knee. Alvarez went 1-for-3 with a double and two strikeouts in his first game back. Tickets
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• Monday: Pirates (Virgil Vasquez, 1-1, 3.75) at Astros (Mike Hampton, 4-5, 4.44), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Pirates (Paul Maholm, 5-4, 4.69) at Astros (Brian Moehler, 5-4, 5.64), 8:05 p.m. ET
• Wednesday: Pirates (Charlie Morton, 1-1, 2.65) at Astros (Wandy Rodriguez, 7-6, 3.21), 2:05 p.m. ET
Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
