Leones del Escogido announced on Saturday that the winter season for Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco in the Dominican has come to an early end due to a fractured wrist. According to the team, it is his right wrist and he will be in a cast for about four weeks. The timing for his winter ball participation is obviously poor, but as far as being ready for Spring Training, it appears that he should be good to go from the start with at least seven more weeks before players are scheduled to arrive in Bradenton. Polanco played 21 games this winter, hitting .197/.276/.342 in 87 plate appearances, with three doubles, one triple, two homers and an 8:18 BB/SO ratio. He played ten games in right field and 11 as the DH.
UPDATE: The Pirates have now confirmed the report and also noted that he expects to be ready to go full strength at the start of Spring Training. Assuming that he has no setbacks, then all this did was cost him some winter ball at-bats, which wouldn’t have amounted to much over the remainder of their shortened season.
