Sanchez likely to have one more rehab outing

OAKLAND -- Blue Jays right-hander Aaron Sanchez will make at least one more rehab appearance with Triple-A Buffalo before he returns from the disabled list.

Sanchez made his first relief appearance for Buffalo on Tuesday night and the results weren't quite what the Blue Jays had been hoping for. He allowed two runs on two walks and a hit before he was pulled with two outs in the inning.

The 23-year-old also threw just 11 of his 24 pitches for strikes, and the lack of command is the main reason why the Blue Jays want to give him a little bit more time before a roster move is made.

"He was just so-so [Tuesday]," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "The word I got was not enough strikes, that kind of thing. That's important to him.

"He has been out for two months, he's getting some innings under his belt now but when he was struggling, when he was up here earlier in the year, it was because of the command. So give him another outing and maybe he can iron that out a little bit."

Sanchez's pitching line wasn't quite as bad as it appeared on the surface because both runs scored on passed balls by catcher Sean Ochinko. Even so, Sanchez will need to display better command before he receives full clearance.

The expectation is that Sanchez will pitch for Buffalo again Thursday night and likely will rejoin the Blue Jays for their weekend series in Seattle. Toronto announced earlier this week that when Sanchez does return, it will out of the bullpen instead of the rotation, which is where he began the year.

Sanchez has a 3.55 ERA in 11 starts for Toronto while posting 42 strikeouts compared to 37 walks over 66 innings. He is expected to form the core of the bullpen alongside rookie righty Roberto Osuna and righty Bo Schultz.