ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Pirates say Freddy Sanchez will be ready for the season opener, but it remains to be seen to what degree.

A second medical opinion on his ailing right shoulder, delivered by Dr. James Andrews after an office visit yesterday in Birmingham, Ala., confirmed the Pirates' diagnosis that Sanchez has inflammation in the rotator cuff.

No structural damage.

Nothing related to the minor surgery on a joint in that shoulder in September.

And no disabled list.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington, visibly buoyed by the news, declared that Sanchez "should be" part of the 25-man roster that will play in the opener Monday in Atlanta.

"Everything went very well," Huntington said. "Dr. Andrews saw the same things we saw. Now, it's just a matter of getting Freddy to the point where he is comfortable."

Therein lies the rub.

Sanchez has looked plenty comfortable at the plate this spring, batting .364 with a team-leading 16 hits. He has been able to handle every other task, too, except that he cannot throw at full force. That, of course, renders him unable to play the field. He has tried second base twice this spring and, after the most recent attempt Friday, described significant pain.

The Pirates' immediate plan is to have Sanchez take nine at-bats in a minor-league game today at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., then reevaluate him tomorrow. He could take additional at-bats in the final four Grapefruit League games. And, if the team deems it beneficial, he could stay Sunday for more minor-league action while the rest of the team already is in Atlanta.

There remains no schedule for Sanchez to throw, though, which means that if he is on the opening-day roster, it could be as a pinch-hitter.

That would not necessarily be a bad thing, as few teams can summon a National League batting champion off the bench, but that situation surely would not be sustainable if the injury lingers.

"We'll see how things develop," Huntington said. "We'll do as much as Freddy feels he can handle defensively. We're going to play off Freddy. He knows what he needs."

The Pirates' feeling all along has been that Sanchez's shoulder hurt because his surgery kept him from throwing all offseason. He was forbidden to throw at the outset of spring training, too. A week later, he was allowed only soft tosses.

Because of that inactivity, the team's thinking has been, the shoulder underwent some common strains and reacted accordingly. Dr. Andrews' examination -- which consisted of examining an MRI taken last week by the Pirates' medical director, Dr. Patrick DeMeo, as well as some physical exercises -- appears to have confirmed that.

Sanchez was unavailable for comment yesterday while traveling, but his agent, Paul Cobbe, described Sanchez as satisfied with the team's diagnosis, as well as the second opinion.

"More than anything, Freddy's just anxious to be completely ready for the season to start," Cobbe said. "He's a competitor. He wants to be out in the field."

Sanchez's confirmed presence on opening day likely means infielder Josh Wilson will not make the roster. Wilson, a Mt. Lebanon native who has batted .194, is out of options and would have to clear waivers to remain in the Pirates' system.

If Sanchez is unable to play the field, Luis Rivas, a virtual lock for the roster after batting .348, is the clear first choice to be the second baseman.

And, if that happens, it will represent the culmination of a highly unlikely success story.

Rivas, 28, entered camp as a non-roster player whose most recent full-time duty in the majors came in 2004 with Minnesota and who, two years later, had been reduced to a .218-hitting afterthought in Class AAA. That was light years removed from the elite prospect who broke onto the Twins' roster as a 21-year-old and quickly became their everyday second baseman.

"I'm not thinking about opening day right now because I want to see Freddy get better," Rivas said. "I'm just going to keep doing my job the way I have. I know I can do the job if they ask me to."