The other day it was reported that Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco would undergo shoulder surgery to stabilize his dislocated left shoulder. It turns out that there was more to it than that. He had a torn labrum as well, and it was repaired during his surgery.
That’s way more serious than a dislocated shoulder and it means that Polanco will be on the shelf for seven to nine months. Given that spring training begins in five months, that will put a serious dent in Polanco’s 2019 season, perhaps cutting it in half.
Polanco, 25, hit .254/.340/.499 with 23 home runs, 81 RBI, 75 runs scored, and 12 stolen bases in 535 plate appearances in 2018. Pittsburgh was, no doubt, counting on him to be an important part of the mix in 2019 when, pending moves this offseason, at least stood a reasonable shot at contention.
Tough news for Polanco. Tough news for the Pirates.
