CHICAGO -- There's encouraging news on the injury front as the Pirates look to slowly get the right side of their infield pieced back together over the next week.
For the second straight day, Freddy Sanchez took full team batting practice. He also increased the intensity of his running drills, running sprints and cutting around the bases for the first time since exiting last Sunday's game with back spasms.
Manager John Russell cleared Sanchez to pinch-hit for the Pirates on Sunday. And if necessary, Russell said that Sanchez could be inserted in as part of a double switch if he is needed on the field.
Assuming there are no setbacks, the second baseman is expected to return to the starting lineup on Monday when the Pirates open a three-game set against the D-backs.
As for Adam LaRoche, the first baseman took a significant step forward on Sunday when he tested his back while running on the field before batting practice. LaRoche, who suffered a right intercostal strain a week ago, had been limited to rotating exercises in the trainer's room before Sunday.
Early last week, there was concern that LaRoche may be out for longer than that 15-day DL period. However, with his recovery process progressing quicker than expected, LaRoche is on target to return to the field on Aug. 12, the first day that he is eligible to come off the DL.
"We're working backwards from the first day he can come off and progressing toward that," Russell reported. "If he passes all the tests, then that's what we'll shoot for. If you start having setbacks, then the day you work back from will start to move."
The plan is to limit LaRoche to running and rotation exercises for a few days. Barring no setbacks, the first baseman will take his first swings on Wednesday. He would then likely join team batting practice in Philadelphia over the weekend.
In the meantime, LaRoche continues to enjoy his time as his younger brother's biggest cheerleader. LaRoche's brother, Andy LaRoche, joined the club on Friday after being traded to the Pirates in Thursday's deadline deal.
"He's like a proud father," Russell said of his first baseman. "It's really neat. He's really enjoying watching [his brother] play, and you could tell he would love being out there. He's grinning ear-to-ear on the bench."
When the elder LaRoche returns to the field, he and Andy will be the first pair of brothers to play together with the Pirates since Eddie and Johnny O'Brien did so in 1958.
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