After scary chest injury, grateful Sanchez returns to Nats

Adrián Sanchez last appeared on the field at Nationals Park on Aug. 26, an appearance notable for two reasons. No. 1: He delivered a key RBI single off Mets closer Jeurys Familia in the bottom of the eighth, eliciting a standing ovation from the home crowd. No. 2: A few minutes later, he was removed from the game because he was still feeling the effects of getting hit by a pitch square on the chest, a frightening moment that preceded the RBI single and gave the fans reason to offer that standing ovation.

Thirteen days later, Sanchez is back at Nationals Park, officially recalled from Triple-A Syracuse as the last of the club's non-injured September call-ups. He played in five games for the Chiefs in the interim, but his next appearance will be his first since that scary moment.

Because he was optioned to the minors Aug. 28 when Trea Turner was ready to return from the disabled list, Sanchez was required to wait 10 days before he could return to the majors. So he watched from afar while Pedro Severino, Raudy Read, Andrew Stevenson, Rafael Bautista, Victor Robles, Enny Romero and Austin Adams all made the move up earlier this month. Now he's able to join them and be present when the Nationals clinch a division title sometime in the next few days.

"Very, very happy," Sanchez said through interpreter Octavio Martinez. "I'm pleased to be here. They've always treated me like family, embraced me. I'm very happy to be back up here in September, and hopefully help them in any way I can to help them get into the postseason."

Sanchez admits he didn't know how exactly the rest of his surprising season would play out after the Aug. 26 incident. He was trying to put down a bunt when Familia's pitch caught him flush on the chest, knocking him to the ground. After several minutes and an examination by trainer, Sanchez got to his way and walked to first base ... only to be sent back to the plate because it was determined he never pulled his bat back and thus was being called for a swinging strike.

No matter, because Sanchez proceeded to knock his RBI single off Familia, bringing a huge roar from the crowd. But as he led off from first base, the rookie continued to rub at his chest, and the Nationals decided to pull him from the game.

Sanchez wound up being taken to a local hospital to be examined further, and he was kept overnight for observation. He was discharged the next morning but didn't play in another game until Aug. 30, at which point he had already been sent to Syracuse.

Sanchez said it took those full four days before he felt 100 percent again, with some nervous moments along the way.

"The thing that scared me the most was the fact that the ball hit my on the side of my heart, left side," he said.

He felt fine in his five games with the Chiefs, though, and now feels completely normal again as the 26-year-old infielder who spent a decade in the minors before earning his first big league promotion earlier this summer now gets to wrap up a 2017 he appreciates even more than he did before.

"Absolutely," Sanchez said. "I'd like to first of all thank the organization for everything, the fact that they trusted me and gave me the opportunity to show what I can do and play for the big league team. Most of all, I just thank them for the opportunity."