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Miami Marlins right-hander Sixto Sánchez, who appeared to be a blossoming star during his rookie season in 2020, likely won't be ready for game action until later this year because of his shoulder, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

Sánchez, 23 years old, underwent surgery on his shoulder last July to repair a capsular tear. Unfortunately, he hasn't returned to form as quickly as expected. Heyman indicated Sánchez could return sometime around "midseason," suggesting he could make his first big-league appearance in June or July if that timetable stays true.

Originally the key piece in the trade that sent J.T. Realmuto to the Philadelphia Phillies, Sánchez reached the majors and made seven starts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. He recorded a 3.46 ERA (132 ERA+) and a 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio en route to a seventh place finish in Rookie of the Year Award voting. He subsequently made a pair of appearances in the postseason, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out eight batters across eight innings of work.

Sánchez didn't make a single appearance during the regular season in either the majors or the minors last season. He was sidelined late in the spring with shoulder discomfort. An MRI subsequently revealed the capsular tear that ended his season.

"We're hoping that he's with us on Opening Day next year," Marlins general manager Kim Ng said at the time of Sánchez's surgery. As first noted by MLB Trade Rumors, Sánchez had told the Marlins' YouTube account in November that he was 100 percent. It's unclear what, precisely, changed between then and now.

Of course, Sánchez's present-day unavailability won't make much difference for the Marlins until Major League Baseball's owner-imposed lockout is lifted. Earlier this week, commissioner Rob Manfred canceled the first two series of the season. Sánchez, then, will miss a smaller percentage of the season than he would've otherwise.