Manager Charlie Montoyo said that Sanchez will start Friday's split-squad exhibition game against the Pirates, Scott Mitchell of TSN 1050 Toronto reports.

EDGE Analysis

As many teams do with their established starters, the Blue Jays delayed Sanchez's spring debut nearly a week into their Grapefruit League schedule simply to conserve his workload heading into the games that count. He'll likely be capped at around two innings Friday before turning the game over to the bullpen. The right-hander has been plagued by health issues the past two seasons -- most notably, recurring problems with blisters -- but he entered spring training without any restrictions and reportedly showed improved velocity in his initial bullpen sessions, per Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.