The New York Mets signed Jorge Polanco to solidify their infield defense, and his deal looks like a disaster.
New York Mets infielder Jorge Polanco can’t get back on the field. Polanco has been juggling two different injuries, one to his wrist, another to his Achilles, and the Achilles is proving to be a far more difficult and pernicious injury.
Poloanco received a platelet-rich plasma injection a month ago, according to Tim Sammon of The Athletic, back when the Mets were on a road trip that included the Los Angeles Dodgers. The injection has helped, but there’s still no clear timeline for his return.
“It’s made it better for me,” Polanco said in an interview this week. “It was an easy decision. I know the guys here. They know what they’re doing. If that is going to help me, I am willing to do it.”
The infielder is taking batting practice, but GM David Stearns says that Polanco needs to be asymptomatic before the Mets will know when he’ll be back.
“We want to have more good days than the days I don’t feel so good,” Polanco said. “That’s when I know I’ll be ready to go.”
At least he has company on the injured list. The Mets are currently missing multiple starters, including shortstop Francisco Lindor (calf), center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (back) and catcher Francisco Alvarez (knee).
Polanco has appeared in just 14 games this season, and he’s hitting .179 with one home run. Last season with the Seattle Mariners, Polanco posted a .821 OPS with 26 home runs while playing in 138 games.
The Mets signed Polanco to a two-year deal worth $40 million, and it’s starting to look like a bad one. Polanco is aware of the perceptions, but his Achilles doesn’t seem to be.
“It is tough to deal with, but at the same time, I can’t control that. I wish I could because then I could be on the field every day,” Polanco said. “I would feel bad about it, but what else can we do but try to stay positive, keep going and come back.”
Meanwhile, the Mets have moved on. Mark Vientos isn’t a good defensive first baseman, which was what the Mets wanted when they signed Polanco, but he is hitting. Until this week, Vientos was virtually the only Met who was hitting, but the Mets have been energized by the arrival of rookie outfielder A.J. Ewing, to the point where the scored a total of 19 runs in two of their three games against the Detroit Tigers as they swept the series.
Polanco continues to exist in a strange state of injury limbo, and no one knows when he’ll return.