“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 for the San Francisco Giants, the team with which he won his three rings during his 14-year MLB career.
And at 37 years old, this isn't a formality: He's really trying to make the team, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.
Sandoval reportedly told friends that he “feels great” and will try to return.
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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 Francisco hired Sergio Romo, its former closer, to give him one last appearance at Oracle Park before hanging up his cleats.
Now, this isn't to say the Giants won't do 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 farewell.
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Sandoval, who was World Series MVP in 2012, has not been in the MLB since 2021, when he was with the Atlanta Braves.
He played in 69 games that season, posting a .178/.302/.342 line with four home runs and 11 RBIs in 86 plate appearances. The Braves also ended up winning the World Series that season.
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 in the Puerto Rico winter league this past offseason. He was also selected in Baseball United's inaugural draft and played in the “exhibition” games in November 2023.
But Sandoval is looking for more competitive baseball, and while he should be considered a long shot to make the team, spring training is about discovering the best 26 men to finish camp. Every invite has a chance, especially one that is a fan favorite and has proven to work well in the Bay Area.
During his 11 seasons with San Francisco, Sandoval hit .285/.337/.457 with a .794 OPS, 135 home runs and 569 RBIs in 1,149 regular-season games. His performance during the 2012 World Series (.500 batting average with three home runs and four RBIs) earned him the World Series Most Valuable Player honor 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.
