Freddy Due Back For Home Opener...maybe sooner(!)

[Witlon]

Freddy Sanchez plans to play in a minor league game Wednesday. He hopes to be in the Pirates' lineup before the end of next week. Sanchez hopes to be ready for the Pirates' April 5-7 series in Cincinnati or, if not then, the April 9 home opener against St. Louis. Jose Castillo will likely start at second base in his absence.

Freddy Sanchez went 3-for-8 while DHing in a minor league game on Wednesday.
He was removed for a pinch-runner each time after reaching first. "I was able to swing and run down to first, it wasn't as hard as I can, but it was something," Sanchez said. "I can play through discomfort and pain because they said it's not going to get worse. Eventually it's going to go away and I can't hurt it any more. ... Hopefully, I can push it harder and harder each day." Sanchez could return a week into the season.

Credit: Rotoworld.com

Good news to see his improving to that point, Freddy is a HUGE part of this team's offense and we really need him by the home opener at the latest. Now, with a bad knee at 2B, it still scares me, but as long as we have his bat in the lineup, I'm happy.

[redsrbetter]

I never knew he wasn't playing. So they did all this without him? Nice.

Just wait until he gets back, hmmm...