HOUSTON -- Astros shortstop Angel Sanchez was thrilled to receive news Wednesday from manager Brad Mills that he'll begin the 2011 regular season as the club's starter in place of Clint Barmes, who will be sidelined for four to six weeks while recovering from a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal bone in his left hand.
Sanchez, 27, had been previously sidelined in the midst of Spring Training due to discomfort in the middle part of his back, but he's fully recovered and hungry to pick up where he left off last season for the Astros after being acquired via trade from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for veteran catcher Kevin Cash.
For Sanchez, he considers it a true blessing to be able to take the field in a major league uniform as a starter on Opening Day.
"It means a lot to play on Opening Day," he said. "Not a lot of people get to have that blessing in their life. I'm really happy about it and I'll keep working hard. I plan to keep doing what I do. I play to win and I give 100 percent each time I step on the field."
After bouncing around for several years within the Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston farm systems, Sanchez appears to have found a stable home, for the time being, in Houston.
He refuses to take the game for granted, especially since it took him four resilient years to get a second taste of the big leagues after making his major league debut with Kansas City in 2006.
According to Sanchez, he takes pride in wearing an Astros uniform.
"The trade that got me here was perfect," Sanchez said. "It's been a real blessing. I've improved a lot since coming to the Astros. I've been learning a lot of stuff I didn't know early and I keep getting better. I love Houston and the fans, and it's my hope to help the Astros win a whole bunch of games this season."
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