Sánchez needs time to build up arm, Escobar gets Nats' first successful steal

PITTSBURGH – Aníbal Sánchez’s neck has healed enough to allow him to begin throwing again, but the veteran right-hander is going to need some time now to build himself back up before he’s ready to pitch for the Nationals.

Sánchez played catch Friday for the first time since landing on the 10-day injured list with a cervical nerve impingement, and manager Davey Martinez said everything went well during that session. But this is just the first step in a longer process to get him back into big league shape.

“He said it felt better, so we’ve got to build him up now,” Martinez said. “Obviously, he missed some time. He’s off today, he’s strengthening. We’ll build him up and see where we get him.”

Sánchez, who was signed early in spring training to a minor league contract, was ticketed to open the season in the Nationals’ rotation, and the club added him to its 40-man roster as camp ended. But when he reported a stiff neck following the team’s charter flight from West Palm Beach, Fla., to Washington, he landed on the IL and Josh Rogers was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take his rotation spot.

Rogers makes his second start of the season tonight, hoping to build off a strong performance Monday night in Atlanta. The lefty figures to remain in the big league rotation for the time being, given that Sánchez needs more time to work his way back.

At some point, Sánchez will be cleared to start throwing off a mound again. Then he’ll need to pitch in game situations, perhaps joining a minor league affiliate for rehab starts.

“More than likely,” Martinez said. “Because of the shortened spring training, we’ll see where he’s at. But he’s probably going to have to go pitch somewhere and build him back up.”

* Alcides Escobar did something Friday night no other Nationals player had yet done this season: Steal a base.

After drawing a leadoff walk in the top of the second, Escobar swiped second base. It wasn’t anything particularly notable, aside from the fact nobody else on the club had done it yet in 2022.

Two Nats (Josh Bell, Yadiel Hernandez) had been thrown out trying to steal, but nobody had been successful. That’s both a product of the struggles of some regulars to get on base and of a changing roster that doesn’t include speedsters like Trea Turner anymore.

“You look at the way our lineup is really based, our lineup’s more built to take our walks and try to hit doubles and homers,” Martinez said. “With that being said, the bottom of our lineup needs to play the game a little bit. And we need to start creating some things. The most important thing for me right now is to get these guys to swing the bat and get on base first.”

Tops on that list is Victor Robles, who enters tonight’s game 0-for-16 with zero walks and one hit-by-pitch.

“You can’t steal first base,” Martinez said. “Once we get them on, we can do a lot more things.”

Then there’s the case of César Hernández, who has reached base 13 times in nine games and stole 19 bases as recently as 2018 for the Phillies. But with Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz and Josh Bell batting behind him, Hernández has been understandably reluctant to run, not wanting to deny those sluggers an opportunity to drive him in.

“He understands that. He’s pretty smart,” Martinez said. “I told him: ‘You’re going to pick your spots. But understand with no outs or even one out, and you’ve got those guys coming up behind you, more than likely we want them to swing the bat.’ If it’s a base we feel like he can really, really steal, get to second base. They’ll walk Juan, or they’ll pitch to him, and then they’ve got Nelson, and he’s swinging the bat well.”

* Joshua Palacios had quite a debut this afternoon for Rochester. The 24-year-old outfielder, claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays on Friday, went 3-for-4 with a walk, a three-run homer and a walk-off single for the Red Wings.