Former Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, who outperformed predictions with the San Diego Padres, will conclude his season prematurely. The catcher suffered a fractured right wrist during Wednesday’s day game against the Philadelphia Phillies when he was struck by a 98 mph fastball delivered by Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman.
The Padres acquired Gary Sanchez through waivers from the Mets back in May, and he experienced a resurgence in San Diego. His batting average, currently at .217, is the highest it has been since his 2019 All-Star season with the Yankees when he hit .232. During his time with the Padres, Gary Sanchez has belted 19 home runs, ranking sixth among all MLB catchers this season.
Gary Sanchez’s comeback bid meets an unexpected end
He initially signed a minor-league contract with the San Francisco Giants in March but was released after struggling in Triple-A, where he had a slash line of .164/.319/.182. Over 13 games, he failed to hit any home runs and managed eight RBIs in 55 at-bats, accompanied by 19 strikeouts.
Afterward, the Mets signed Gary Sanchez on May 9, and following an impressive stint with Triple-A Syracuse, he received a call-up to the major league roster, where he had a successful debut while catching Max Scherzer. However, after playing three games for the Mets, where he went 1-for-6 with one RBI and three strikeouts, he was placed on waivers.
During his six-year tenure with the Yankees, Gary Sanchez received a Silver Slugger award and earned All-Star honors on two occasions. However, the 30-year-old struggled to meet the lofty expectations placed upon him and couldn’t shake off his reputation as a defensive liability. Following a trade to the Minnesota Twins, Gary Sanchez posted a batting line of .205/.282/.377 with 16 home runs and 61 RBIs across 128 games last season. Subsequently, he became a free agent.
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