The Arizona Diamondbacks are trying to claw their way into the third and final National League Wild Card spot, and their answer to one of the biggest holes in the lineup is Jesus Sanchez.
Arizona entered Thursday morning 3.5 games behind the San Diego Padres, the same club it will meet in a three-game series during the final days of the regular season. To keep pace, the Diamondbacks needed more punch against right-handed pitching, and that’s where Sanchez comes in.
"The Diamondbacks are hopeful Jesus Sanchez will help. Sanchez, the 28-year-old left-handed-hitting outfielder, was plucked off waivers Monday to help Arizona with its .683 OPS against right-handed pitching, second-worst in the majors," ESPN's Alden Gonzalez wrote.
Sanchez was rarely used against left-handed pitching by the Blue Jays, and the results showed it. He hit just .406 OPS in 31 at-bats against southpaws.
Against right-handers, though, he has offered more. In 243 at-bats in 2026, the seven-year veteran is hitting .272/.328/.440 with eight home runs and a .769 OPS.
Those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but they were enough for Arizona to take the shot.
There is one catch: Sanchez won’t be eligible for the Diamondbacks’ postseason roster if they reach October. Because he was claimed on Sept. 14, he missed the Aug. 31 cutoff, and a player has to be in an organization before midnight that day to qualify.
For now, Arizona is looking at a weekend matchup that should give Sanchez a chance to factor in immediately. The Yankees are scheduled to start three right-handers - Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, and Will Warren - so Sanchez is expected to be in the lineup at least two of those three games.
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