The New York Mets have had to deal with Jorge Polanco's struggles with an Achilles issue, but his MRI was clean.
The New York Mets are stretched thin at several positions, right now but the Mets are hoping first base won’t be one of them, as infielder Jorge Polanco spoke out about the Achilles tendon issue that’s been causing him to miss games lately.
Polanco was out of the lineup tonight for the second straight game, but he said his Achilles is feeling better and he won’t need a stint on the injured list, according to an article written by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
The Mets are buying into this as well, largely because of the MRI they had done on Polanco yesterday. It showed no structural damage, with the images instead showing that the first baseman is suffering from bursitis, which is inflammation around the ligament. Polanco took batting practice yesterday, DiComo added, and he could be back in the lineup as soon as tomorrow afternoon against the Athletic.
“The good news is the tendon’s healthy,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “There’s nothing wrong. … We’ve just got to kind of limit the defensive side, how much pressure he puts there.”
That limitation could be a problem for the Mets given that they’ve been rotating in several inexperienced players at first, and last night a bad throw by Mark Vientos helped cost the Mets a game. The Mets also need Polanco healthy for the long haul, though, so that’s the priority.
The injury first cropped up during the second game of the season, and he’s been limited to serving as DH ever since. The bursitis diagnosis should actually help with treatment, as the Mets can now shift over to use anti-inflammatories to help Polanco heal, although he'll still be limited to DH reps.
“Now, we know what we’re dealing with,” Mendoza said. “We know there's nothing with the tendon in that area there."
The Mets didn’t get Polanco for his offense, however, and that’s another issue. He went 1-for-3 with two walks when his Achilles as healthy on Opening Day, but he’s slashed just .189/.250/.270 I nine games since, according to DiComo.
“There’s days where he comes in and he feels really good that he goes out there and does a little bit of defensive work,” Mendoza said. “And then there’s days where he feels it more. We’re watching it closely here and will see what happens.”
The Mets will try and limit the revolving door at first, however, now that outfielder Juan Soto is out with a calf strain. Vientos has been installed there full time, although the Mets are still subbing in freely, with Jared Young getting the nod at first tonight.