Twins

Finger Injury Complicates Jorge Polanco’s Timeline for Return

Photo credit: Brian Curski, Cumulus Media

The Minnesota Twins find themselves in an unlikely predicament.

Jorge Polanco was expected to be their starting shortstop until he tested positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing drug, in the offseason and pegged with an 80-game suspension. He was slated to return from suspension on July 2, but he slammed his right index finger in a car door, it became infected and as of Saturday his return date is uncertain.

I wouldn’t say there are no problems, but he’s doing well enough he can certainly hit,” said manager Paul Molitor. “He threw a lot yesterday, including taking 25 ground balls with throws to first. Backhand, forehand, charged balls. Those kinds of things.”

Polanco will join High-A Fort Myers as the designated hitter on Sunday, then be part of Ervin Santana’s batting practice session on Monday — an off day for the Miracle. “Then we’re hoping he’ll play shortstop on Tuesday,” said Molitor.

“We’re comfortable with where we’re at,” he added. “I wouldn’t say 100 percent, but we’re working well enough for him to get out there. I think today with the absence of baserunning drills he’s going to do a couple other things to make sure he’s ready to go tomorrow and those kinds of things. Get some at-bats and target shortstop for Tuesday.”

If Polanco has to go on the disabled list, however, things will get complicated. The Twins will reach out to Major League Baseball and the players’ union to see if a 10-day DL stint means Polanco has to wait an additional 10 days after his suspension to play, or if he can return earlier since the injury happened while he was suspended.

Photo credit: Douglas DeFelice, USA TODAY Sports

I don’t know how unique it is, coming back from the suspension,” said Molitor. “We’ve lost some of the rehab time because of an injury. I don’t think that we’ll probably get much leeway there, but I don’t think we’re against trying to at least inquire.”

Polanco has been working with Sam Perlozzo, the Twins’ minor league infield and baserunning coordinator, during his suspension.

“We’re trying to take this time that he’s down, not just to let him just play and take at-bats, but to do some things,” Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said in early May. “Make him better defensively, to work on his range, [and] do some things that we know can impact him here at the major league level.”

Molitor credits Perlozzo for Polanco’s improvement at short last year.

“All I know is that when you send a guy like Sam Perlozzo to work with a guy, we all saw a vastly improved shortstop over the course of last year,” he said. “As it relates to both his forehand and his backhand, I think we’ve always tried to get him better footwork, and in terms of flowing into the ball and transfer and release. The backhand, learning how to back-leg a little bit to get a little more carry. Those type of things.”

Molitor doesn’t think he should have too much rust, even with the finger injury.

You have to remember he played a lot of baseball down there up until this injury,” he said. “Talking to Sammy about him, he went through the whole extended. This layoff as of late, the combination of extended being over and the finger injury, there’s some time there that he’s lost. But we have the opportunity to see how this time goes.”

And hope that he picks up where he left off — whenever he’s able to return.


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