Sánchez made his return from the injured list and got the start at designated hitter, batting seventh on Saturday. The 32-year-old slugged his first home run of the season for the Orioles, taking Tyler Anderson deep for a solo shot in the sixth inning.

The hard-hitting 32-year-old backstop has been sidelined since late April due to inflammation in his right wrist. He tore the cover off the ball on his minor league rehab assignment, slashing .364/.417/.818 with three homers and eight RBI in only 22 plate appearances. He’ll give the Orioles’ offense a boost against left-handed pitching. Maverick Handley was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move on Saturday.

Sánchez moved his rehab assignment up to Triple-A a week ago and has done nothing but hit since coming to Norfolk. It’s only a matter of time before he’s back in Baltimore, where he will serve as a backup catcher and likely as a designated hitter against left-handed pitching.