When an athlete is going through difficult times, he looks for some fuel to get him going.Miami Marlins infielder Javier Sanoja delivered a sensational performance on Saturday night. Is this the start of a new shift in his game? Javier Sanoja Delivers While Playing with a Heavy HeartMiami Marlins infielder Javier Sanoja | Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesVenezuela has been in the news throughout the week due to a devastating earthquake, which rocked the country twice. Thousands of victims weren't lucky enough to survive the massive earthquakes. The 23-year-old infielder is one of the many Venezuelan baseball players who felt deep grief. He spoke about it to reporters earlier this week in video recorded by the Marlins Radio Network.Javier Sanoja, who is from Maracay, Venezuela led the media availability for Clayton McCullough this evening. pic.twitter.com/Nky4qOwIEL— Marlins Radio Network (@MarlinsRadio) June 26, 2026Sanoja was part of the Venezuela team that won the World Baseball Classic in March. Now, Sanoja will channel his pain into his performance on the field. He answered by going 3-for-4 with a run, an RBI, and two stolen bases in a 5-1 win over the Cardinals. Sanoja has been getting good at the plate in the last seven games. He's one of the contributing factors to why the Marlins have been hot in June. Miami is 17-5 in June.During the last seven games, Sanoja is slashing .467/.438/.600 with seven hits, three runs, two RBIs, and two stolen bases. Overall, Sanoja is hitting .260 with two home runs, 26 RBIs, and 47 hits in 181 at-bats this season.Sanoja has gifts and tremendous talent. As a utility man, Sanoja must continue to do what he's doing and deliver hit after hit. He won't be in the lineup every day. Still, hopefully, the situation in Venezuela will give him much more pride and motivation to show manager Clayton McCullough that he wants to be in the lineup every day. His defense is great. He won the Gold Glove last season. What he must do is to continue to get hits. His people and family mean a lot to him. Many people are pulling for him to succeed. Many Venezuelans live in Miami. There's a fan base there. The team is playing exceptional baseball. During the offseason, this is what most people were expecting and hoping for. Sometimes it takes the summertime for the players to kick in and rise to the occasion. The Marlins currently sit in third place in the NL East but are having their best June in franchise. Miami is now a part of the NL Wild Card race. Yes, there are still plenty of baseball games left to play, but one can't help but feel the excitement of the team progressing.The Marlins haven't been a good road team, but they've played well away from home this month.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow