NEW YORK -- Jorge Polanco, whose complicated injury situation has kept him sidelined for the past six weeks, took a major step toward a potential return on Wednesday when he began a Minor League rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton.
Polanco made two plate appearances as a designated hitter, finishing 1-for-2 with a single and a run scored. In what will likely be a lengthy rehab assignment, Polanco is scheduled to be off on Thursday. He could appear in back-to-back games as soon as this weekend, however, with one of those appearances at first base. From there, the Mets will work to build up his stamina.
It’s an important start for Polanco, who played through left Achilles bursitis early in the season before finally landing on the injured list on April 18 to recover from both the Achilles injury and a right wrist contusion. After receiving opinions from multiple outside doctors, Polanco learned that he is likely to remain in some degree of pain all season. But if he can play through the discomfort, he can avoid surgery.
In recent days, that has become easier for Polanco, who hasn’t had as many “bad” days as he had earlier this season.
“It’s to a point where he’s not going to be 100 percent,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But as he went through the intensity [of baseball activities], the running the bases and the sprinting and all that, the next day, it’s like, ‘Hey, it’s not getting any worse. I feel better.’ The biggest thing was that it wasn’t getting any worse, and he was able to manage it and was like, ‘I’m good to go now.’”
While there are no guarantees that Polanco will continue to recover well on his rehab assignment, there’s little downside to him trying. Doctors have told Polanco that he’s not at increased risk of an Achilles tear despite his bursitis. In a worst-case scenario, Polanco will continue to experience pain, be shut down from baseball activities again and potentially undergo surgery to shave down his inflamed bursal tissue.
In a best-case scenario, Polanco will return to the Mets next month and prove as productive as he was last season with the Mariners. That was close to a career year for Polanco, who hit 26 homers with an .821 OPS over 138 games, prompting the Mets to sign him to a two-year, $40 million contract to replace Pete Alonso at first base.
This year, largely playing through discomfort, Polanco mustered just one home run with a .532 OPS in 14 games prior to hitting the IL.