An awkward slide into second base in the sixth inning Friday night left Gregory Polanco clutching at his left knee in pain and forced the right fielder to exit the Pirates' 5-3 win over the Marlins at PNC Park.
Polanco, after getting his left spike caught in the dirt when sliding to avoid a throw from right-center field, was on the ground in obvious pain for several minutes before walking off the field with his right arm draped around the shoulder of trainer Bryan Housand. The team announced Polanco was removed because of "left shoulder and left knee discomfort."
An update was not provided following the win, though the Pirates are expected to release more information Saturday.
"Yeah, it didn’t look good," Clint Hurdle said when asked if he held his breath following the slide. "Obviously, he showed some discomfort in a couple different areas, so we’ll see how it plays out."
Polanco drove a ball into the gap and it was his 32nd double of the season, only three off his career high, but the training staff quickly left the dugout upon seeing the 26-year-old on the ground.
He was replaced by Jordan Luplow, who hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning. Polanco leads the team in home runs with a career-high 23 and 81 RBIs, while starting 121 games, including 25 straight. He missed 40 games last season because of three stints on the disabled list with a hamstring strain; however, a revamped workout regimen helped him lead the majors in RBIs through his first 11 games this season.
Polanco fell into a two-month-long slump where he batted .187 with 16 RBIs and 45 strikeouts in 46 games from April 13 through June 12. That had him on the outside of a four-man outfield rotation that included Austin Meadows and led the coaching staff to recommend he move a few inches off the plate to help him make contact with inside fastballs.
He's batted .296 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs, 49 RBIs and a .951 OPS in 70 games since making the change June 13. Polanco was on pace for career highs in doubles, OPS and on-base percentage, while his 61 walks and 61 extra-base hits are already the most of his five-year big-league career. He insisted on playing every game the rest of the season, despite the Pirates falling out of the playoff chase.
“I’m not ready to go home yet,” he told DKPittsburghSports.com late Wednesday night. “I wish we could be in the playoff race, but whatever happens, happens. I want to play every game we have left. After what happened last year, I want to play every day now.”
He's been the Pirates' only consistent run producer in recent weeks, driving in at least one run in nine of his last 12 games and has at least one hit in 15 of his last 17, batting .348 in that span.
"It’s definitely tough watching a guy go down and seeing how much pain he was in," Josh Bell said. "It was cool seeing him walk off the field. I’m sure Polanco will be all right, but kudos for Luplow coming in ready and making that impact."
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Pirates vs. Marlins, PNC Park, Sept. 7, 2018. - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS