MIAMI (AP) -After throwing one final painful pitch, Florida Marlins right-hander Anibal Sanchez stood behind the mound, barking words in anger, and clutched his surgically repaired shoulder as he talked with a trainer.
Then Sanchez trudged off the field. It may be a while before he returns.
Shoulder discomfort forced Sanchez from Thursday’s game against Atlanta in the fifth inning. He was scheduled to undergo X-rays and an MRI exam.
“He was in pain,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “You always think worst-case scenario, but I don’t know. We can’t assume anything.”
Sanchez had shoulder surgery in June 2007 and returned last July. As a rookie in 2006 he went 10-3 and threw a no-hitter against Arizona, but he’s 3-9 since the surgery.
Sanchez pitched 4 2-3 innings against the Braves and left after Casey Kotchman’s RBI double put the them ahead 4-1. Florida’s Hanley Ramirez went to the clubhouse after the inning to console Sanchez.
really down,” Ramirez said. “It has been tough for him.”
Sanchez gave up four runs, hiking his ERA to 5.79. His record fell to 1-4 when Florida lost 4-2.
The rotation was expected to be the Marlins’ strength, but they’ve gone a club-record 20 consecutive games without a win by a starting pitcher. During that span the starters are 0-10, and the last starter to win was Sanchez against Atlanta on April 16.
The Marlins are already without left-hander Andrew Miller, who is on the disabled listed with a strained oblique. He’s expected to rejoin the rotation after making one more rehabilitation start in the minor leagues.
Burke Badenhop, Hayden Penn and Dan Meyer are candidates to fill in for Sanchez.
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