NEW YORK -- Although Jorge Polanco was out of the Mets’ lineup on Friday for the second straight game, he said his Achilles was feeling better and he won’t need a stint on the injured list.
There is reason for his optimism. The Mets sent Polanco for an MRI on Thursday, which revealed no structural damage. Instead, Polanco is suffering from bursitis, or inflammation around the ligament. He took full batting practice on the field the following afternoon and could be back in the starting lineup as soon as Saturday.
“The good news is the tendon’s healthy,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “There’s nothing wrong. … We’ve just got to kind of limit the defensive side, how much pressure he puts there.”
Polanco has been dealing with a sore left Achilles tendon, a problem since the opening weekend of the season. The Mets have spent weeks treading carefully with Polanco, who began feeling Achilles soreness in the second game of the season and has been limited to DH duties ever since. The Mets previously defined his issue as Achilles tendinitis, but now that they have an updated diagnosis of bursitis, they can treat Polanco with anti-inflammatory medication.
They believe Polanco can play through the issue and still heal, though he will remain limited to DH reps for the time being.
“Now, we know what we’re dealing with,” Mendoza said. “We know there's nothing with the tendon in that area there."
Polanco has produced little at the plate over the first two weeks of the season. After going 1-for-3 with two walks on a healthy Achilles on Opening Day, Polanco has slashed .189/.250/.270 in nine games since.
“There’s days where he comes in and he feels really good that he goes out there and does a little bit of defensive work,” Mendoza said. “And then there’s days where he feels it more. We’re watching it closely here and will see what happens.”
With Polanco limited to DH duties, Brett Baty, Mark Vientos and Jared Young have all seen time at first base. Recently, since Juan Soto landed on the IL, Vientos has taken over full-time first-base duties with Baty shifting to the outfield. Young got the start at first base Friday.
The Mets signed Polanco, 32, to a two-year, $40 million contract over the offseason.