Kia Good News! Elbow-injured Sanchez makes comeback start “no pain after long toss…return expected later this month

After being sidelined with an elbow injury, KIA foreign pitcher Mario Sanchez has begun his comeback.

“He started throwing long tosses yesterday,” KIA head coach Kim Jong-kook said before the team’s 11th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against Doosan at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Saturday.

Sanchez had been sidelined with an elbow injury on March 26. At the time, KIA said, “Sanchez was examined at two hospitals and was diagnosed with a partial injury to the medial collateral ligament of the right subject (elbow) and symptoms of impingement syndrome,” adding, “It is not a condition that requires surgery. He will be rehabilitated with injection therapy. We anticipate a three-week rehabilitation and then he will throw bullpen pitches.”먹튀검증

Sanchez took the ball again after about a week of rest. Manager Kim Jong-kook said, “Sanchez started throwing a 30-meter toss yesterday and felt no pain. He will continue to throw long tosses this week and if there is no pain, he will start half-pitching next week. We are thinking about his return to the first team by the end of this month.”

Sanchez, who joined the team in early July as a substitute foreign pitcher, has been an integral part of the starting rotation, going 4-2 with a 5.28 ERA in eight games this season. KIA, which has the most games remaining among the 10 clubs, is hoping for a quicker return for Sanchez.

Meanwhile, KIA removed infielder Byun Woo-hyuk from the first team roster and added infielder Kim Kyu-sung to the roster. Coach Kim said, “It’s to strengthen our pinch-hitters and infielders. We needed a pinch-hitter in the second half, so we added Kim Kyu-sung. Hwang Dae-in and Oh Sun-woo will play first base.”

Facing Doosan starter Kwak Bin, KIA’s starting lineup is Park Chan-ho (shortstop), Kim Do-young (third base), Na Sung-beom (right field), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Socrates Brito (left field), Kim Sun-bin (second base), Hwang Dae-in (first base), Kim Tae-gun (catcher), and Choi Won-joon (center field). The starting pitcher is Thomas Pano.