The decision to keep the Gerrit Cole/Kyle Higashioka battery intact is becoming tougher and tougher for Aaron Boone, as Sanchez continues to heat up while Higashioka’s bat remains dormant.
With Cole on the mound Tuesday night against the Royals, Boone elected to keep Higashioka behind the plate and the red-hot Sanchez on the bench, but did tell reporters that the idea of having Sanchez catch Cole, which he hasn’t done in a full start since Opening Day, was on the table.
“Yeah, there’s definitely a consideration,” Boone said. “Just felt like the benefits from that off day and then here. Considered possibly tonight and having the day game after the night game Thursday, but if everything goes well tomorrow I’ll probably push through with him and maybe play him back-to-back there and on into the weekend.
“I considered it and love where Gary is at right now. He’ll be available in a big spot off the bench for us tonight.”
Over his last 20 games, Sanchez is batting .344 with a 1.127 OPS and six home runs, while Higashioka is batting .131 with a .422 OPS in his last 22 games. But Boone said he still likes the relationship between Higashioka and his ace, though it is currently sacrificing the team’s hottest bat, as Giancarlo Stanton is in the lineup at the DH spot on Tuesday night.
“Obviously I really like the pairing and like the dynamic that they have, and think very highly of Higgy as a catcher, so I kind of look at is as it usually lines up to where it makes sense,” Boone said. “Obviously this is the one day coming out of an off day where I had some pause, because I do plan on some point this season Gary going back and catching him.”
Sanchez did catch Cole last week against the Blue Jays, when he came in to pinch hit for Higashioka in the seventh inning and blasted a go-ahead home run, and followed it up by catching Cole for two scoreless innings. So while it may not be Tuesday night, Sanchez will likely become an option to catch Cole in the near future if these trends continue.
“If we get in a big spot tonight in the middle of the game, there’s a big chance Gary is up there and is in the game like he was in Buffalo, and that went seamless,” Boone said.
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