Pirates' Sanchez May Begin Season On Disabled List

Sunday, March 25th 2007, 1:52 pm

By: News On 6

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) _ National League batting champion Freddy Sanchez may begin this baseball season in the same place he was on opening day last year -- on the Pittsburgh Pirates' bench.

The former Oklahoma City University standout has been out since March 6th with a sprained ligament in his right knee and still can't play.

The Pirates are weighing whether he should go on the disabled list, even if it is for only a week.

Sanchez is hitting and fielding ground balls but can't run at full speed. Until he can do so, Sanchez can't get the at-bats he needs to prepare, not even as a designated hitter in a minor-league game.

The injury has lingered much longer than the Pirates and Sanchez thought it would and has forced him to miss nearly three weeks of game action.

The Pirates open the season at Houston on April 2nd.