The Pirates have placed outfielder Gregory Polanco on the 10-Day IL with left shoulder inflammation, the team announced. Outfielder Jason Martin has been recalled in his place. It’s the same shoulder on which Polanco underwent major surgery in the offseason, resulting in a month-long absence at the season’s outset. The move is retroactive to Wednesday, however, so it may just be a minor setback for the 29-year-old.
The lefty has struggled in his first 42 games for the team this season, slashing just .242/.301/.425 (89 wRC+) with an easily-career-high 29.3% strikeout rate. Polanco’s (left) throwing arm has graded out as subpar for the first time in his six-year big-league career thus far, so it’s certainly possible the shoulder is still giving him issue.
Martin, 23, was acquired from Houston as part of the Gerrit Cole deal, but has not been good after a midseason promotion to Triple-A in 2018. He boasts identical 65 wRC+ marks at Indianapolis both this season and last, and a 17-game cameo with Pittsburgh earlier in ’19 did not go well, as the rare lefty hitter/righty thrower slashed just .229/.289/.286 in limited action.
Rookie Bryan Reynolds has been a godsend for a beleaguered Pirate outfield thus far, but the team’ll need plenty of help elsewhere if it’s to overcome the six-under-.500 hole in which it currently sits.
Whitesox should take a flier, I still believe in the kid, plus couldn’t be any worse than what we’ve been putting out there in RF
They did not put him on waivers,just the IL.
He seems to have come back too soon for his shoulder to take the grind of a ML season.
The Lonnie Chisenhall watch is in its thousandth day.
It seems to me that they should have left Martin in AAA as it is difficult finding playing time for the Melkman.
Good point about Melky, plus Jose Osuna can play corner OF if need be. I’d rather see them leave Martin in AAA and let him play through his struggles. Maybe they wanted to replace Polanco’s lefty bat with another lefty.
Pirates still seem high on Polanco despite his struggles this year. He probably shouldn’t have returned from injury when he did, he hasn’t looked 100%. If the White Sox are looking for an OF the Bucs are going to be offering Corey Dickerson before anyone else at this point.
Agreed. I doubt they move the Polanco’s of the world after screwing up on Cole, Glasnow and Meadows.
Cole is gone after this year and Pirates will still have four ML players of varying skill levels.
Meadows is down to 301 after hitting 281 in the last 30 days.
If Archer gets back on track,and seeing what physical shape Glasgow will be in,this may not be the doomsday trade most posters are saying.
The Cole trade was a debacle.
No one remembers that the Pirates traded the Gerrit Cole with a 4.26 ERA who was giving up a Chris Archer like number of HR’s, not the AL all star.
If Cole was worth so much more (at the time) than Huntingdon got, where were all the other GM’s?
So, the logic is that a great pitcher was available and none of them were willing to make a good offer for him?
The reality is that Cole’s value was down and that was what he worth at that time.
If you want to criticize the Pirates coaching staff for not getting the most out of Cole, that is a fair question. Slagging a GM for not making out like a bandit trading a homer prone pitcher with a 4.26 ERA is revisionism.
I always thought that Cole was a fine pitcher.He as the first pick in the draft.His salary dispute left a bad taste in his mouth,he was somewhat of a hothead,and he has been a better pitcher pitching for a good team that will make the playoffs every year.His success in Houston does not surprise me in the least.
The question in my mind is when should the Pirates have traded him.Would dealing him at the trade deadline gotten a larger haul with some young impact players.
I think that NH was afraid that an arm injury could destroy his best trade chip. I do not doubt that this was his best haul at the time of the trade.
In my mind it has worked out for both teams.
Hurt after career game 666.