Pablo Sandoval was never known to be slim. The San Francisco Giants infielder was nicknamed “Panda” and reached 5-foot-10, 268 pounds on his official MLB site.
But the test reached a different level than a recent photo taken by Sandoval, who took Grounder on the third base, did the internet rounds.
Predictably, the Internet was its usual self when it responded to Sandoval’s photo, which appeared to have added weight after it returned from the coronavirus shutdown and just a few weeks before the MLB season resuscitated. Between the standard jokes and the common barbs was the question of whether the giants with their experienced infielder should be worried / frustrated.
According to Giants manager Gabe Kapler, the answer is basically only if this weight stands in the way of his job.
From Maria Saved of MLB.com:
“I think we’re always looking for ‘Is Pablo able to do the things necessary to be a good baseball player?'” Kapler said on Sunday. “I find it understandable that we focus on weight in today’s world. I get it. In this particular case, we all noticed at Pablo that the ball bounces off its racket and that its throws are comfortable to carry. Obviously we were concerned that he would be ready [after Tommy John surgery] and at what point would he be ready to play the third and first bases. He has shown that he is healthy. That’s the most important. “
Kapler has a point there. First and third bases are much more about reaction time than range on the field, and nobody expects Sandoval to collect the stolen bases or go to first to third place with one.
Still, it’s not the first time that Sandoval’s weight fluctuations have been discussed. During his unfortunate tenure with the Boston Red Sox, there were frequent concerns about his weight. His outbreak year 2011 was preceded by a noticeable weight loss. In the past, he was encouraged by some of his current Giants teammates to lose weight. And the pandemic has devastated the ability of many athletes to train properly and work with their team.
Andrew Baggarly of Athletic, who tweeted the photo of Sandoval, said in a Twitter thread that he regretted having published the photo on a personal level, since Sandoval has long been under scrutiny, but felt he was a journalist’s duty as one of the few reporters on the scene in Oracle Park whose job it was to cover the Giants objectively.
Pablo Sandoval’s weight has made headlines again. (AP Photo / Jeff Chiu)
Kapler expressed his sympathy for what Sandoval is dealing with:
“He demonstrated it in such a short time. I have a lot of empathy for Pablo and how it should be to deal with this kind of control and I would not wish anyone. ”
The 33-year-old Sandoval is a non-squad participant in the Giants Camp after striking .268 / .313 / .507 in 108 games last season. If weight is really a problem, Sandoval is the only one who really pays for it.
At the moment the giants are apparently planning as if he would stay. And yes, maybe play DH:
“Look, he won’t take the lead for us,” said Kapler. “The expectation at Pablo Sandoval is that he has snails. He drives baseball. He is a good DH candidate for us. He has nice, soft hands and all of these things are in stock. These are the things we’ll focus on. “
