Last week, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that right fielder Gregory Polanco will undergo shoulder surgery. This surgery will put Polanco on the shelf for 7 – 9 months, meaning he will not be ready for the start of the 2019 season.
Polanco’s injury is a big blow to the 2019 Pirates. This season Polanco had turned a corner and was becoming the player the organization had hoped for when he was one of the top prospects in all of baseball. Polanco had been the team’s best hitter in 2018 after setting new career highs in home runs, triples, extra base hits, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and WAR.