Updates from Saturday, March 1
LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has the latest on Sano and the news isn’t good:
The highly-touted third base prospects has a tear in his ulnar collateral ligament and will need Tommy John surgery. Sano will fly to Minnesota next week to have the surgery.
[…]
Tommy John rehab for position players isn’t as extensive as pitchers, but indications are that Sano’s season could be over.
The team later confirmed Neal’s report on their official Twitter feed, and added that Sano’s season was over before it started.
Neal provided more info on Sano’s timeline:
Original Text
Minnesota Twins third base prospect Miguel Sano is experiencing lingering soreness in his right elbow that raises concerns about his major league future, according to TwinCities.com’s Mike Berardino.
Sano’s agent Rob Plummer doesn’t appear to be very optimistic after Sano recently asked whether he should undergo surgery on the problem area, per Berardino:
“I have a feeling this is more than nothing. We have to wait for the MRI to be read, but it feels like this is more than nothing.”
Until the examinations are complete and doctors can determine what it is exactly that’s ailing Sano, a timetable on his return to full strength remains unknown. For now, both player and club will be waiting anxiously and hoping for the best possible news.
As Berardino points out, the Twins are likely to take a patient approach to Sano’s recovery if it turns out that his ulnar collateral ligament is still intact. Otherwise, surgery will be the only option.
The 20-year-old third baseman is a native of the Dominican Republic and signed a deal with the Twins back in 2009 as a teenager. He’s spent recent seasons developing in the minors and was showing promise ahead of his recent setback.
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