Five observations from the third day of Pirates’ minicamp:
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Sliding practice isn’t on the schedule this week at Pirate City.
However, the mats will come out next month when spring training begins and you can be sure Gregory Polanco will be right at the front of the line for those sliding drills.
Polanco tore the labrum in his left shoulder Sept. 7 when he awkwardly did a half-slide and half-dive into second base while hitting a double against the Marlins at PNC Park. The play also left him with a bone bruise in his left knee, which has since healed.
Polanco acknowledges his sliding needs work but also is not second-guessing himself about what happened four months ago.
“I don’t regret what I tried to do,” Polanco said. “Nobody wants to get hurt. I was trying to hustle. But I’m trying not to think about all that anymore. I’m feeling great now.”
One of the highlights of the minicamp, a four-day affair that ends Thursday, is that Polanco was able to hit and throw without pain, though he likely won’t be ready to play by March 28 when the Pirates open the season at Cincinnati.
Polanco won't be the only player getting work in on the bases. Improving the team's baserunning will be one of the focuses of spring training.
According to FanGraphs’ metrics, the Pirates were the third-worst baserunning team in the major leagues last season behind the Blue Jays and Marlins. Additionally, the Pirates were successful on just 64.8 percent (70 of 108) of their stolen bases attempts.
2. Chris Archer threw off flat ground again Wednesday for the second time in three days. It marked the fifth time he’s basically played catch since starting his throwing program on New Year’s Day, following off-season hernia surgery.
3. Steven Brault threw a full bullpen session. There is much more on Brault in this piece.
4. Former Pirates trainer Kent Biggerstaff dropped by Pirate City on Wednesday, the first time he had been in the facility since it was renovated a decade ago. “The training room is just a little bit bigger than in the old Pirate City,” Biggerstaff told DKPittsburghSports.com with a smile. “We had two tables and that was it.”
5. There is no down time for the drug testers who are hired on a contractual basis by Major League Baseball. Two were on site Wednesday as 40-man roster players are subject to random testing during the offseason.
