Freddy Sanchez could rejoin the Pirates in Cincinnati tomorrow, the first day he is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list.

Management is leaving the call up to the player, and Sanchez -- who had been targeting the home opener Monday -- said after playing in Class AAA Indianapolis' opener yesterday that he is "not sure if I'll stay through the weekend" to continue his rehabilitation assignment. More should be known after he plays for the Indians again tonight.

	MINOR-LEAGUE REPORT Thursday's results INDIANAPOLIS (1-0) beat Columbus, 6-1. LHP Sean Burnett (1-0, 0.00) pitched five shutout innings and allowed six hits and one walk while striking out three. CF Nyjer Morgan (.800), making his Class AAA debut, went 4 for 5 with a double, an RBI and two runs out of the leadoff spot. RF Luis Matos (.500) went 2 for 4 with a walk. ALTOONA had its opener at Erie snowed out. LYNCHBURG (0-1) lost to Potomac, 11-4. RHP Clayton Hamilton (81.00) lasted only two-thirds of an inning and allowed six runs and six hits. 2B Shelby Ford (.333), the Pirates' third-round draft pick last summer, hit a three-run home run. HICKORY (1-0) won at Hagerstown, 5-4. RHP Jared Hughes (1-0, 0.00), the fourth-round pick last summer, pitched five shutout innings and allowed five hits. RF Jamie Romak (.667), the prospect acquired in the Adam LaRoche trade, homered and doubled.

Sanchez said the right knee that was sprained March 6 "felt good" in the Indians' 6-1 rout of Columbus at Victory Field. He doubled to center in his first at-bat, wound up 1 for 2 with two walks and a run, and played six errorless innings at second base.

One very strong sign that Sanchez will return, at the latest, for the Pirates' home opener: The team has scheduled a pregame ceremony for general manager Dave Littlefield to present him with a silver bat for his National League batting title.

Grabow 'pain-free'

Reliever John Grabow threw a 50-pitch live batting practice in Bradenton, Fla., and said his elbow was "pain-free."

He will not rejoin the Pirates until after a minor-league rehabilitation stint, and one has not yet been scheduled.

Three and counting

On the Pirates' 3-0 start:

It is the 21st in their 121-year history. Of the previous 20 teams to achieve it, 15 finished with winning records. Of those, only the 1971 team won the World Series.

The franchise-best start was 10-0 in 1962.

If the Pirates win tonight, it will be the 11th time in franchise history they opened 4-0.

Buried treasure

Most of the pregame ceremonies for the home opener will honor the U.S. military, including the unfurling of a giant American flag by members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines who recently returned from war zones. The ceremonial first pitch will be thrown and caught by Purple Heart recipients from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, Technical Sgt. Jeff Myers throwing to Senior Master Sgt. Donald Koch.

A limited number of single-seat tickets remain.

Sean Burnett, owner of a 0.00 ERA in the spring, extended that efficiency with five scoreless innings and the victory yesterday for Indianapolis. He gave up six hits and a walk while striking out three.

Center fielder Nyjer Morgan, a member of the 40-man roster and surprise promotion to Indianapolis this spring, made a sensational Class AAA debut by going 4 for 5 with two runs as the leadoff man.