FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Miguel Sanó entered the Twins' clubhouse on Tuesday morning with a boot on his right foot, the first visible indication of the laceration to his heel area that has emerged as a slight stumbling block to his intense offseason of preparation.
There is no structural damage to the bones or ligaments in the foot; the boot is only a precaution to immobilize and protect the area so that the wound remains closed and clean. According to manager Rocco Baldelli, the Twins plan to keep Sano in the boot for 7-10 days, during which Sano will not participate in on-field drills.
"It's just something we'll roll with and deal with," Baldelli said. "There's a lot more to be excited and happy about as far as Miguel's offseason and everything that went into it. I consider this a minor issue we have to get past before he gets going."
The goal is for the third baseman to work with head athletic trainer Tony Leo on upper-body exercises while sidelined. Sano was on the field with his teammates on Monday, the first day of full-squad workouts, but didn't participate in drills. He was on the field again Tuesday, flipping balls to his coaches as they hit ground balls for infield drills.
Baldelli said the injury was sustained around the time of the celebration of the Dominican Winter League playoffs last month, when Sano won the league championship with his team, Estrellas Orientales. He isn't worried about Sano's timeline to prepare for the regular season.
"Most of the time, as long as these things are fairly minor as we think this is, you have plenty of time to get ready," Baldelli said.
Baldelli, Schoop react to Machado news
News of Manny Machado's reported 10-year, $300 million agreement with the Padres trickled into Twins camp toward the end of batting practice.
"You know what? Congratulations," Baldelli said. "I'm sure he's pretty happy with the outcome. He's a heck of a player. He's another guy I've had the opportunity to watch a lot over the years, all the way back to seeing him in instructional league. He was a man amongst boys at the time he was a young teenager. Heck of a player."
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop, Machado's longtime teammate and close friend in Baltimore, emerged from the shower later in the Twins' clubhouse as the news was spreading among the players.
"I'm mad at him because he didn't tell me before he signed," Schoop said.