BALTIMORE -- Right on cue, Gary Sánchez delivered.
The Orioles’ struggles against left-handed pitching this season have been well-documented, so their recent influx of right-handed bats coming off the injured list are a welcome addition. On Saturday, they reinstated Sánchez, who had been out since April 28 due to a right wrist ailment.
Soon after, Sánchez swatted his first homer for Baltimore, going back to back with Cedric Mullins in the sixth inning of the O’s 6-5 win over the Angels at Camden Yards. Mullins’ team-high 11th home run gave the Orioles a 5-4 lead, then Sánchez added a key insurance run.
After signing a one-year, $8.5 million deal in December, Sánchez started slow in his first season in Baltimore, going 3-for-30 (.100) over 12 games before going on the IL. However, the 32-year-old backup backstop said his wrist/hand had been bothering him throughout mid-April.
Sánchez hit three homers during his recent seven-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk. His power surge carried over with his Statcast-projected 394-foot blast in his third plate appearance on Saturday.
“Nobody wants to be hurt and not being able to help the team. I’m happy to be back now,” Sánchez said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones before the game. “I feel a lot better now than I did in April when I was trying to battle through it.”
After his first game back, a smiling Sánchez felt even better.
“It felt good. Even more so that we got the win,” Sánchez said. “I was feeling better as I continued to play. I think the most important thing was making sure my hand felt good, and as I continued to get at-bats and play in some games, it felt really well.”
It’s possible the Orioles will get more offensive production from their catching duo moving forward. Maverick Handley (who was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk) played well behind the plate and has been praised by pitchers, but the 27-year-old went 3-for-40 (.075) with a .211 OPS over his first 15-game stint in the Majors.
Sánchez has a track record of being a powerful hitter, as he’s tallied 185 home runs in his 11-year big league career. Baltimore hoped he could be a positive addition to its lineup -- both when Adley Rutschman needs a day off and as a designated hitter, where he started Saturday -- and it still believes that can be the case moving forward.
“It's a presence when he steps in the box,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “He walks in there, he's got that big old leg kick and he gets that thing cranking and he swings through a pitch, it does not feel good if you’re on the other side, I promise that. Big home run, good to see him get some confidence.”
Added Mullins: “He can definitely swing the bat. It was encouraging to see him get his swing off today, put one over the wall -- something that we expect out of him, of course. ... Looking forward to seeing what he does.”
Entering Saturday, the Orioles were hitting .203 with a .557 OPS against left-handers and were 4-15 in games started by southpaws. They tagged Halos starter Tyler Anderson for six runs, their most scored against a lefty this season.
In addition to Sánchez, fellow right-handed hitters Jordan Westburg (left hamstring strain) and Ramón Laureano (left ankle sprain) have returned since June 6. Westburg has already homered twice since coming back Tuesday, and he added a third-inning RBI single on Saturday.
Baltimore also tallied a season-high four left-on-left hits off Anderson, including Jackson Holliday’s leadoff double in the first -- which led to a run -- Gunnar Henderson’s RBI single in the third and Mullins’ homer in the sixth.
Although Anderson (a two-time All-Star) has reverse splits this year -- meaning lefty hitters have fared better against him than righties -- it was still an encouraging showing.
“Cedric’s been hitting lefties all year for the most part. He’s been doing great,” Mansolino said. “But the kids are handling it pretty good. It seems like by the day they’re getting better and better.”
The Orioles will get another left-handed test on Sunday afternoon as they go for a three-game sweep of the Angels, who will send Yusei Kikuchi to the mound. If the O’s (29-40) win, it’ll mark the first time they’ve been only 10 games below .500 since they were 15-25 on May 14.
Like his teammates, Sánchez is remaining optimistic regarding how the rest of the season could unfold.
“I have confidence in these guys, I have confidence in this group,” Sánchez said. “Obviously, we didn’t start really well, but at the same time, we can flip the page and end on a really strong note.”