Panda tries hand as two-way starter (and pitches 5 1/3 scoreless!)

Panda tries hand as two-way starter (and pitches 5 1/3 scoreless!)

4:34 AM UTC

Former big leaguer makes pitching appearance in indy ball. Sounds like a normal Saturday night, right? Par for the course.

How about this: a now 38-year-old , two-time All-Star, three-time World Series champion third baseman, last spotted in the Majors as a member of the 2021 Braves, made his first professional start Saturday night for the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League, an MLB Partner League.

Just let that information wash over you. It's a lot to take in. We're in no hurry to move past this headline.

Admittedly, what sounds like a novelty was actually a really solid outing -- the longtime Giant put in 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and a walk with four strikeouts, and, as the FerryHawks' three-hole hitter, went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

Then again, we shouldn't be surprised -- he did leave the Majors with a 0.00 ERA (over two innings, but still).

So, is this the next step for Sandoval in what has been a wonderfully winding and offbeat baseball career? Unclear -- the FerryHawks' 2024 season ends on Sunday, and we can't say what plans he may have for the future. But we can certainly hope.