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Minnesota Twins call up Jorge Polanco

By Brody Hilgenkamp |
Mar 14, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco (11) turns a double play over St. Louis Cardinals first baseman David Washington (93) during the game at Roger Dean Stadium. The Twins defeated the Cardinals 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2016; Jupiter, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco (11) turns a double play over St. Louis Cardinals first baseman David Washington (93) during the game at Roger Dean Stadium. The Twins defeated the Cardinals 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Twins called up shortstop prospect Jorge Polanco today to fill the roster spot of Trevor Plouffe, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list, reports Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

Polanco, the Minnesota Twins’ No. 5 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was hitting .286 with a .316 on-base percentage and .543 slugging percentage in 10 games at Triple-A Rochester, where he is tied for International League lead with three triples.

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The Twins signed Polanco out of the Dominic Republic as a non-drafted free agent on July 6, 2009, when he was 16-years old. He made his major league debut in 2014 and played in five games, hitting a double and a triple in six at bats. He also played in four games in 2015, hitting three singles in 10 at bats with one steal.

Polanco will not be in the starting lineup for the Twins Tuesday as Eduardo Nunez will get the start at third base in his stead. However, the Twins certainly will be putting him in the lineup in the coming days; otherwise, it would not make much sense to call up one of their top prospects.

Calling up Polanco gives the Twins and manager Paul Molitor lots of flexibility to tinker with the infield lineup. In his minor league career, Polanco has played 2,989 1/3 innings at shortstop and 1,196 1/3 innings at second base. He’s also played right field in four minor league games, which will only increase the ways that Molitor could get Polanco in the lineup in the coming days.

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In six minor league seasons, Polanco has proven to be a steady offensive presence, slashing a career .287/.347/.407 through Monday. In 2015, he hit a combined .288/.339/.386 between Double- and Triple-A. Ninety five of those games came in Double-A, where he hit .289/.346/.393 with six home runs and 18 stolen bases.

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