Sanchez allowed six runs on 10 hits, walking one and striking out three over 4.1 innings of an 8-5 loss to the A's on Friday night.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez (1-1) struggled to stay away from the middle of the plate against a lefty-heavy A's lineup. He relies on his fastball and is still developing more consistency with his off-speed stuff so he can be vulnerable at times. It wasn't as bad as the line suggests, but he will likely have outings like this from time to time. He'll try to get back on track in his next start against the White Sox at the Rogers Centre.

Sanchez (1-0) allowed one run on two hits and four walks while striking out seven over seven innings to earn the win Sunday at the Red Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez was dominant yet again, though his control was a bit off. He allowed a run in the fifth inning, but the Blue Jays gave him plenty of offensive support for him to pick up the easy win. In his three starts, he's allowed exactly one earned run while striking out 20 hitters over 20 innings of work. He'll make his next start Friday against the Athletics.

Sanchez took a no-decision Tuesday against the Yankees as he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez is on a roll to open the season, with 13 strikeouts in as many innings and now two consecutive starts with only one earned run allowed, and he's done so against a pair of solid lineups in Tampa Bay and New York. Sanchez had Yankees hitters off balance all day, as he induced nine ground ball outs and earned 23 called strikes. Sanchez's ERA sits at 1.38.

Sanchez held the Rays to just one run on five hits over seven innings Tuesday night but was stuck with a no-decision. He struck out eight.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez was nasty, as he induced 16 swinging strikes and allowed just four fly balls against eight ground balls. Sanchez lasted seven innings or more in just three of his 11 starts last season, and he allowed one run or fewer in just one of those. It's a great sign to see Sanchez going deep in a dominant start, and to do so against a team expected to contend this year in the Rays.

Manager John Gibbons confirmed Monday morning that Sanchez will open the season in the Blue Jays' rotation, MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm reports.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez and Gavin Floyd competed for the No. 5 starter job this spring, and Sanchez earned the job by posting a 1.35 ERA and 19:3 K:BB ratio in 20 spring innings. With fellow starter Marco Estrada (back) in limbo to start the season, the date of Sanchez's first regular season start likely will not be determined for a few more days.

Sanchez appears to be the frontrunner for the Jays' No. 5 starter job, Sportsnet reports.

EDGE Analysis

Drew Hutchison may be ticketed for Triple-A Buffalo to begin the season, leaving Sanchez and Gavin Floyd as the last two starters competing for the final spot in the Toronto rotation. Sanchez has pitched well this spring, piling up a 10:1 K:BB over nine innings in three Grapefruit League appearances.

Sanchez gave up a run, gave up five hits, and struck out three batters in three innings Monday against the Braves.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez pitched as much as starter R.A. Dickey on Monday, as it seems the Blue Jays are trying to stretch him out into a starting pitcher. The right-hander pitched out of the bullpen last season, but disclosed that he wants to become a starter this season. He's competing with Drew Hutchinson, Jesse Chavez, and Gavin Floyd for the fifth starter spot, so he'll need to show that he can post good numbers over extended innings in the spring if he wants to become a starter, as there is some speculation that he'll stay in the bullpen the entire season if he heads there on Opening Day.

The Blue Jays are backing Sanchez out of the primary setup role, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

While it sounds like Sanchez could still see opportunities in the eighth inning over the final two weeks, he will effectively share setup duties with Mark Lowe and Brett Cecil moving forward. Sanchez has given up a run in four of his last five appearances, doing so without even recording an out in his last two.

Sanchez was tagged with the loss (7-6) on Tuesday, pitching 1.1 innings while giving up four hits and an earned run while striking out one.

EDGE Analysis

Sanchez has run into trouble every time he's been asked to pitch more than one inning out of the bullpen and Tuesday was no different. His numbers are still stellar as a reliever, holding a 1.71 ERA with a 0.76 WHIP in 21 innings out of the bullpen.

Sanchez picked up the win, giving up one walk in one inning of Tuesday's extra-inning victory over the Red Sox.

EDGE Analysis

Since moving to the bullpen, Sanchez has returned to the electric form he displayed as a rookie in 2014. In 20 appearances as a reliever, Sanchez is 2-1 with a 0.96 ERA and a microscopic 0.54 WHIP. His move to the bullpen gives the Blue Jays even more strength in late-inning situations.