The Orioles activated another player from the injured list Saturday with veteran catcher Gary Sanchez returning to the 26-man roster and rookie catcher Maverick Handley being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.
Out with right wrist inflammation since late April, Sanchez was signed to a one-year, $8.5 million contract over the winter to be an upgrade from previous backup James McCann and provide a productive bat against left-handed pitching. However, the 32-year-old got off to a 3-for-30 start and went 0-for-16 against lefties before landing on the 10-day IL on April 28. In seven rehab games with the Tides, he went 8-for-22 with three home runs and a double.
Sanchez was set to bat seventh and serve as the designated hitter in Saturday’s meeting with Los Angeles Angels lefty starter Tyler Anderson.
Once a two-time All-Star who had a pair of seasons of 33 or more home runs for the New York Yankees earlier in his career, Sanchez batted .220 with 11 homers, 37 RBIs, and a .699 on-base plus slugging percentage with Milwaukee last year. He has 184 career home runs and a career slash line of .223/.308/.459 over 11 major league seasons.
Despite going just 3-for-40 at the plate in his first major league stint, Handley earned positive reviews for his catching ability and had essentially become the personal catcher for 41-year-old starting pitcher Charlie Morton in recent weeks. The 27-year-old was a sixth-round pick out of Sanford in the 2019 amateur draft.
