Pittsburgh Pirates: Gregory Polanco suffers another injury

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco continued to be bitten by the injury bug as he fractured his wrist during winter ball action.

The past two seasons have not been stellar for Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco. Once considered a potential building block, Polanco has suffered through injuries that have sapped his performance over the past two seasons.

The injury bug has bitten Polanco again, this time while playing in the Dominican Winter League. He has fractured his wrist and will be out for four to six weeks.

On the positive side, Polanco will not miss much time as the Winter Leagues are having a shortened year due to the ongoing pandemic. He should also be ready for spring training, and should not have any lingering issues for the upcoming season.

However, it is fair to wonder how effective Polanco will be. He has struggled since his breakout 2018 campaign, posting a .197/.257/.374 batting line with 13 homers and 14 doubles since the start of the 2019 season. Over the course of his 341 plate appearances, Polanco has drawn 25 walks while striking out 114 times.

This time in the Dominican Winter League was not much better. Polanco posted a .197/.276/.342 batting line in his 87 plate appearances, hitting two homers and three doubles. If he was hoping to use this winter to get back on track, those plans appear to have gone awry.

The upcoming season will be important for both Polanco and the Pirates. He is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, as Pittsburgh holds team options for 2022 and 2023 worth a combined $26 million. Likewise, the Pirates are hoping that Polanco can return to the form he displayed in 2018 as he could then be a valuable trade chip at the deadline.

But first, Gregory Polanco has to show that he is healthy and can return to that form. The Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder should be ready for spring training after suffering a broken wrist, but there are plenty of questions about his future.