The Mets played an intrasquad game yesterday in Port St. Lucie, during which Duaner Sanchez threw 26 pitches - with a few reaching as high as 90 mph, according to Rick Peterson.

In the Star-Ledger, Dan Graziano takes a closer look at just how important Sanchez will be to this team’s bullpen, while talking to David Wright and others.

Sanchez, on the performance, while talking to reporters after his outing:

“This is a relief.  It’s been so long I don’t even know how to step on the freakin’ mound.  I didn’t know what to expect.  It’s a big relief.  It’s great…I wasn’t nervous.  There was a lot of adrenaline, but I wasn’t nervous at all.  I wanted to step in there and see how it was going to be.  It’s a long year and a half, or something like that, just to be able to go out there and pitch again feels great…I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself.  It was the first time that I pitched, but that’s how I am.  If I miss a pitch I don’t want to miss, then yeah, you’re going to see me yell.”

…from what i can gather, when he’d miss a pitch or throw a ball, sanchez was moaning and groaning a lot on the mound…not from pain, but from frustration, which is understandable seeing as it’s the first time he has pitched in a game in nearly 18 months…

Brian Schneider, on Sanchez:

“He looked really good.  He looked like he was free and his changeup was good - and like I said, great sinker.”

For more on Sanchez, as well as Juan Padilla, and the game in general, read the Journal News, the Bergen Record, the Star-Ledger, Newsday, the Daily News.