BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : Sanderson Shows He’s Not Through Yet

He had surgery to repair herniated disks in his lower back in 1988 and 1995, both potential career-ending procedures, and came to spring training as a longshot to make the team.

But pitcher Scott Sanderson, 39, is still standing, still retiring major league hitters, and for that reason he’s expected to survive the third round of cuts today and has a good chance of making the opening-day roster.

“I know what my age and medical history say, but I know how my body feels,” said Sanderson, who pitched five shutout innings, giving up two hits and striking out three, in a 5-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

“I expect to do some good things to help this team out, and I hope I’m given that opportunity,” Sanderson said. “There were times this winter when I wondered if this was possible, but the long hours of hard work have definitely paid off.”

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The George Arias express continues to gain momentum. The 24-year-old third baseman, who is pushing Tim Wallach for the starting job, made a diving stop of Greg Vaughn’s one-hop smash in the fourth inning and threw Vaughn out.

In the eighth, Arias ranged to his left to field Kevin Seitzer’s bases-loaded grounder and start an inning-ending double play. He had a run-scoring single in the fourth and is now batting .389 with four homers and 13 runs batted in.

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Pitcher Steve Ontiveros, slowed by arm problems, will start the season on the disabled list, Manager Marcel Lachemann said. . . . Reliever Bryan Harvey has been throwing off the mound regularly, but Lachemann said the most optimistic timetable for his return from reconstructive elbow surgery would be mid-April.