BOSTON -- Aaron Sanchez's season of frustration took yet another turn for the worse Wednesday night when a blister resurfaced on his right throwing hand.
The Blue Jays right-hander was limited to six starts in the first half because of a blister that would just not go away. Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Red Sox marked his third start since coming off the disabled list, but he lasted all of four innings before the blister became an issue once again.
The blister began to form during the early stages of his outing at Fenway Park. Sanchez initially tried to pitch through it, but struggled with his command and feel for the baseball, and it quickly became apparent he could not continue. After the game, the disappointment on Sanchez's face said it all.
"It's just one of those things, man," Sanchez said. "I can't control it. It's definitely frustrating. It's one of those things where you take a step forward, you think you're past it and then you're right back to square one. I'll just to continue to do what I've done up until this point. Manage it, try to make sure this thing is under control and just go day by day with it."
Sanchez said all the right things after the game about hoping that the blister would callous over and remaining optimistic that he would be ready to start again in five days. Even so, it's doubtful Sanchez believes that's a possibility considering everything he has been through this season.
The 25-year-old hit the DL in early April because of a blister and missed approximately two weeks. He returned at the end of the month and lasted three starts before the blister resurfaced and he once again had to be placed on the DL. He remained there until July 7, but since then there had been signs of optimism. Sanchez was coming off six scoreless innings vs. Detroit before the latest setback halted any of the momentum he had been building.
Along the way, Sanchez and the Blue Jays have tried just about everything to fix the problem. He visited hand specialists, he had surgery to remove a portion of his fingernail and he was prescribed a lengthy period of rest. So far, none of it has worked and where Sanchez goes from here is still somewhat uncertain.
"It's something that I've dealt with for a year and a half now, two years almost," said Sanchez, who a brief stint on the DL last season for the same issue. "I thought I went through that point where I did try everything. I went and even got surgery, had my nail cut out to kind of prevent this and it keeps coming back.
"It's definitely frustrating, but if I dwell on this, I'll beat myself up more than I need to. I can't control what I do after the ball lets go of my hand. It's just one of things, hopefully where it's at, it hardens up and I'm good to go in five days."