A little over a year ago, then 25 year old Mariners' pitching prospect Juan Sandoval was having dinner with his girlfriend in his native Dominica, overhearing an argument between a security guard and a drunken customer.

The next thing he knew, he heard the sound of a shotgun being pumped nearby, then the pain of richocheting  buckshot carving into his face and  right eye.

Doctors in the local hospital were unable to do anything for him, so he was transferred to a facility in the capital city of Santo Domingo, where he underwent several surgeries over the next six month.  The eye was "saved" but his vision in that side was permanently lost.

Prior to this year, Sandoval last pitched for the AA San Antonio Missions, who are no longer part of the Mariners' organization, with a record of 9-11 and a 4.03 ERA.  

 He is now a non-roster invitee to the  major league spring training camp in Peoria AZ, where he has already thrown in an intersquad game on Tuesday.  He gave up a 500+ foot home run to outfield prospect Mike Wilson, but otherwise pitched well for his first attempt in nearly two years.

He has put in a lot of hard work since his accident and surgeries, both in the Dominican and in Seattle.  He knows that he is not likely to make the 40 man out of spring training, but is hoping to be assigned to AAA Tacoma for the minor league season.

From where I sit, it takes a lot of guts to be a one eyed pitcher, and the M's are to be congratulated for standing behind him and letting him come back to try and get back into the game.