The “Kung Fu Panda” still has some fight left on the baseball field.
Pablo Sandoval, a three-time World Series champion, is a non-roster invitee with the San Francisco Giants, the team he won his three rings with during his 14-year MLB career.
And at 37 years old, this isn’t a formality – he’s truly trying to make the team, per NBC Sports Bay Area.
Sandoval reportedly told friends he “feels great” and will attempt a comeback.
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Former Giants player Pablo Sandoval during batting practice before the Colorado Rockies game at Oracle Park on July 7, 2023, in San Francisco. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Last season, San Fran brought in Sergio Romo, their former closer, to give him one last Oracle Park appearance before hanging up his cleats.
Now, this isn’t to say the Giants won’t be doing that with Sandoval this year. They play at Oracle Park on March 26 before the regular season begins, and if Sandoval doesn’t make the roster, perhaps that could be the time for his own send-off.
Sandoval, who was World Series MVP in 2012, hasn’t been in MLB since 2021, when he was with the Atlanta Braves.
He played 69 games that season, posting a .178/.302/.342 slash line with four homers and 11 RBI over 86 plate appearances. The Braves ended up winning the World Series that season as well.
Pablo Sandoval of the Braves reacts in the dugout after scoring against the New York Mets at Truist Park on June 30, 2021, in Atlanta. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Sandoval played in the Mexican Pacific League in 2022, as well as the Puerto Rican winter league this past offseason. He also was selected in the inaugural Baseball United Draft, and played in the “showcase” games in November 2023.
But Sandoval is looking for more competitive baseball, and though he should be considered a long shot to make the team, spring training is all about figuring out the best 26 men to break camp with. Every invite has a shot, especially one that’s a fan favorite and has proven to play well in the Bay Area.
For his 11 seasons with San Fran, Sandoval hit .285/.337/.457 with a .794 OPS, 135 homers and 569 RBI over 1,149 regular season games. His performance during the 2012 World Series – .500 batting average with three homers and four RBI – earned him World Series MVP honors at age 25.
Former San Francisco Giants player Pablo Sandoval during batting practice before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on July 7, 2023, in San Francisco. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
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Sandoval also spent time with the Boston Red Sox following the Giants’ World Series-winning 2014 season.
