Milwaukee Brewers Catcher Gary Sánchez Apparently Recovering Ahead of Schedule

Manager Pat Murphy initially said Gary Sánchez would make his first Spring Training appearance next week, but the new Milwaukee Brewers catcher could debut sooner.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy told reporters Thursday that catcher Gary Sánchez was progressing ahead of schedule and might see game action soon, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal's Curt Hogg.

Last Friday, Muprhy said Sánchez was on track to make his Cactus League debut on March 14.

Sánchez got his first live at-bats on the backfields on Wednesday, though, notching a single, double and home runs in his six plate appearances. After earning rave reviews from Murphy, Sánchez will get some more at-bats in Thursday.

The Brewers agreed to a contract with Sánchez in early February, but a hand injury that popped up during his physical strung out negotiations a few weeks. The two sides eventually put pen to paper before the end of the month, converting his guarantees into incentives to get the deal done.

Sánchez, 31, is coming off a bounce-back season with the San Diego Padres.

The catcher joined the Padres mid-season, and he wound up recording 19 home runs, 46 RBI, a .792 OPS and a 2.5 WAR in just 72 games with the club. Prior to that hot streak, Sánchez was bouncing around in the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants' minor league systems.

Sánchez was once a top prospect and two-time All-Star with the New York Yankees. From 2016 to 2021, he averaged 42 home runs, 103 RBI and a 3.5 WAR per 162 games with an .805 OPS.

In Milwaukee, Sánchez will back up a 26-year-old All-Star and Silver Slugger in William Contreras. He could also get some run at designated hitter, depending on how Murphy decides to rotate his top-four outfielders.

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