PHILADELPHIA -- Gregory Polanco and Chris Archer are making progress in their injury rehabilitation work, but neither seems to be particularly close to rejoining the Pirates with a month left in the season.
Polanco is increasing the intensity of his throwing and hitting while working out in Bradenton, Fla., per Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk. How the rehabbing right fielder responds to maximum-effort work in the coming days will determine if he is cleared to take part in a rehab assignment before Triple-A Indianapolis’ season ends on Monday.
Polanco hasn’t played in a game since July 14, when his rehab assignment was called off due to left shoulder inflammation. He has only played in 42 games for Pittsburgh this season as a result of the shoulder surgery he underwent last September. The Bucs would like to see Polanco get some Minor League at-bats before rejoining the club when rosters expand on Sunday.
“We’re running up against the clock there,” Tomczyk said. “If we don’t get there, depending on how he feels and how his arm responds to this increased workload, we’ll have to come up with another plan down in the Florida group or think of something outside the box and be creative in that.
“We want to make sure that Gregory feels good, so that means having his clinical assessment be within the norms for a surgically operated shoulder. We want to make sure that he can be a bona fide Major League player like we know that he is, an impact guy like we believe that he is.”
Archer, who has been on the 10-day injured list for a week due to right shoulder inflammation, has not yet resumed throwing. On Wednesday, Archer began what Tomczyk described as “advanced one-arm plyometric throwing-like activities” after being reassessed by the Pirates’ athletic training staff. It’s still unclear if Archer will pitch again this season.
“He is heading in the right direction,” Tomczyk said. “Chris wants to be back out there. He wants to compete with his team, regardless of where they’re at.”
Trainer’s room
• Reliever Clay Holmes (left quadriceps discomfort) threw a two-inning, 33-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park. He is eligible to come off the 10-day IL on Saturday.
• Pitching prospect JT Brubaker (forearm) is playing catch on flat ground five or six times a week, Tomczyk said, and he will “most likely” throw off the mound next month.
• Chad Kuhl, Edgar Santana and Nick Burdi -- all sidelined for the rest of the season but expected to return in 2020 -- are progressing well. Kuhl will rejoin Santana and Burdi in Bradenton when the Pirates travel to Colorado.
Around the horn
• The following prospects will represent Pittsburgh in the Arizona Fall League: shortstop Oneil Cruz (the Pirates’ No. 3, MLB’s No. 59 prospect per MLB Pipeline), outfielder Jared Oliva (Bucs’ No. 11), reliever Blake Cederlind (No. 28), catcher Jason Delay, right-hander Nick Mears and right-hander Cody Ponce. Dave Turgeon, the Pirates’ Minor League coordinator of instruction, will manage the Peoria Javelinas this year.
• Colin Moran delivered a pair of big hits against left-handed starters in this series: an RBI double off Jason Vargas on Monday and a two-run homer off Drew Smyly on Tuesday. Moran has improved his production against left-handers this season, batting .302 with a .768 OPS in 54 plate appearances, and manager Clint Hurdle said Moran will get more chances to start against “certain left-handers” down the stretch.
“Maybe last year, I tried to make more of an opportunity than it was, a try-to-do-too-much type of thing,” said Moran, who ceded starts against lefties to David Freese last year and Jung Ho Kang the first four months of this season. “This year, I’m just treating it like another at-bat, being thankful for an opportunity and trying to make the most of it.”
• Left-hander Steven Brault didn’t have his best stuff as he allowed three runs on eight hits with only one strikeout over five innings in Tuesday night's 5-4 win. Hurdle described the outing as a “fist fight,” and Brault labeled that assessment “pretty accurate.” But Brault was proud of the way he kept his team in the game. After proving he could make “Plan B” work when the Nationals attacked his fastball last Thursday, Brault said he made the most of “Plan Z” in Tuesday’s start.
“I want to go in and make sure, even though my stuff’s not there, I’m going to attack. I’m going to battle,” Brault said. It’s more of the confidence and wanting to stay out there for as long as possible and being able to actually get it done.”