Working 'extremely hard' during DL stint sharpened Polanco

Gregory Polanco did not spend all of his 10 days on the disabled list resting his strained left hamstring.

Instead, he was busy in the batting cage and on the field at SunTrust Park in Atlanta, working to maintain the comfort he found at the plate prior to his injury. The lack of down time is paying off for the Pirates' right fielder.

Polanco's solo home run to center field in the second inning Sunday night was the only bright spot for the offense in a 7-2 loss to the Mets at PNC Park. He went 2 for 4, scoring in the eighth on David Freese's double, and his progress bodes well for an offense in need of help.



"It’d be big not only for us but for him," Josh Harrison told DKPittsburghSports.com. "We put countless hours into preparation and anytime you start seeing results it’s always a good thing as far as feeling what he wants to feel, especially after coming off the DL."

Polanco is 5 for 13 since returning from the disabled list Thursday, and his two home runs are more than he had in his previous 115 at-bats. Prior to injuring his hamstring chasing a fly ball in Arizona May 14, Polanco had shortened his swing to create more power.

Moving from left field back to right also made him more comfortable at the plate. He was batting .354 with four doubles and four RBI in his previous 10 games while having more success on breaking pitches.

The timing of the injury was particularly frustrating for him.

“I was feeling a lot better with my swing and playing well," Polanco said Tuesday in Atlanta. "I was back in right field. Everything happens for a reason, though. I was kind of frustrated, but after that I was cool. I’m in a good place, and I’m ready.”

He showed that during the three-game series against the Mets. He went 2 for 4 with a solo home run in the Pirates' 8-1 loss Friday, and added a single in the comeback victory Saturday.

That progress continued with his first at-bat against Mets starter Matt Harvey in the second inning Sunday night. Polanco watched a slider break out of the zone for a first-pitch ball, and made Harvey pay for hanging a second slider on the outer edge to spot Tyler Glasnow a 1-0 lead:



He flied out to right on a hanging changeup to right in the fourth, but jumped on a first-pitch fastball in the eighth for a single to right. His swing remained short and simple, and Hurdle saw the same confidence Polanco showed before his injury.

"We’ve seen him hit the ball out of the ballpark before, so it’s nothing new," Clint Hurdle said. "Finds some rhythm and rhyme before he got hurt, and he worked extremely hard when he was able to start working again in a batter's box when he was on the DL. He’s come in strong and he’s put some good swings on the ball."

The two hits lifted Polanco's average to .258 and he is batting .275 in May. A resurgence would be a lift for an offense that ranks 24th in Major League Baseball in runs and 25th in batting average.

The Pirates could also use more production in the cleanup spot. John Jaso and Josh Bell batted a combined .259 in that spot during Polanco's absence, and there are opportunities to be had with Adam Frazier and Josh Harrison batting atop the order.

The Pirates went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position Sunday and left 10 on base, a trend that has plagued them this season. A healthy and productive Polanco batting No. 4 t could change that.

"It’s always tough to come back from the DL," Harrison said. "I just applaud him for being ready and staying within himself. It’s nice to see him back."