ST. LOUIS — Gregory Polanco underwent surgery Wednesday afternoon to stabilize a dislocated left shoulder he suffered when sliding awkwardly into second base last Friday at PNC Park, Todd Tomczyk, the Pirates' director of sports medicine, told reporters in a conference call.
Polanco also suffered a significant bone bruise in his left knee that requires six to eight weeks of rest, preventing him from returning before the end of the regular season. However, Tomczyk declined to reveal the severity of the shoulder injury and whether or not it could prevent the right fielder from being ready for spring training.
Tomczyk, during his weekly availability with reporters, also confirmed that starting pitcher Chad Kuhl was unable to throw his scheduled bullpen Tuesday because of recurrent tightness in his right forearm and elbow. Kuhl will be examined by a doctor in the coming days.
"Any additional information in regards to details and estimated recovery time, I know you guys will respect [Polanco's] privacy," Tomczyk said. "We will report that at the appropriate time, but don't have any information other than he's undergoing surgery right now."
Polanco traveled to New York for the procedure, which was performed by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Tomczyk said Altchek's second opinion Tuesday confirmed the Pirates' initial diagnosis of an acute shoulder dislocation. The injury occurred when Polanco drove a ball into the gap for his 32nd double of the season, only three off his career high, but got his left cleat stuck in the dirt when attempting the slide into second.
That cut short a strong second half for the 26-year-old. 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, 23 home runs and 61 extra-base hits were the most of his five-year big-league career.
• Kuhl, a 26-year-old right-hander, was warming up for his bullpen session at Busch Stadium when he experienced tightness in his right arm. He stopped throwing before speaking with Elias Diaz and head athletic trainer Bryan Housand. After a long conversation with Housand, Neal Huntington emerged from the dugout to speak to Kuhl.
Kuhl threw a 30-pitch bullpen last week, all fastballs, and was expected to begin throwing his breaking pitches in preparation for a possible bullpen session in St. Louis. The hope was he'd be able to pitch in some competitive environment before the offseason, most likely fall instructional league.
Kuhl, placed on the 60-day disabled list, had a 4.55 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 81 strikeouts in 85 innings over 16 starts this season before suffering the injury in New York on June 26.
• Diaz, who pulled a hamstring when running out a ground ball Aug. 31 in Atlanta, has resumed running, catching bullpens and taking batting practice on the field. He'll run the bases at Miller Park in Milwaukee this weekend before the Pirates determine if he will return to game activity this month.
• Third baseman Jung Ho Kang, who underwent surgery on his left wrist last month, has resumed swinging a bat and is hitting overhand soft toss in Bradenton, Fla., Tomczyk said. Though Kang won't be able to join the Pirates this month, he could play in fall instructional league before the Pirates must decide whether to pick up his club option for 2019.
