Less than three weeks remain in spring training, and Gaby Sanchez is still trying to show he's ready to play every day in the major leagues.
The Marlins had the 25-year-old rookie penciled in as the starting first baseman when camp opened, but he was batting .200 (6-for-30) when he was sidelined with a bone bruise in his knee. Sanchez was taken out of the game March 18 when he collided with Washington's Lastings Milledge. He was hoping to play March 22.
A few days before the collision, the Marlins weren't ready to give up on Sanchez. They pointed to what he did in 2008 with Class AA Carolina: a .314 average with 17 home runs and 92 RBIs, good enough to earn Most Valuable Player honors in the Southern League. He also went 3-for-8 with two doubles in five games after the Marlins called him up in September.
"I don't think he put up the numbers he put up in Double-A without being a legitimate hitter," baseball operations president Larry Beinfest said.
Sanchez isn't the team's only option at first base, but he might be the most promising one so far. Dallas McPherson was hitting .216 through March 20.
Jorge Cantu is penciled in at third base, but he could wind up at first base if Sanchez continues to struggle and Emilio Bonifacio can win the job at third base. However, Bonifacio has never played third on a regular basis.
"Jorge will be on one of the corners, and we'll figure out the other one," Beinfest said. "When you are in a competition and you want to make the club ... you have to perform. But again there's still time for that. We think a lot of Gaby."
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