Placido Polanco aiming for weekend return, but how much will he play?
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Placido Polanco aiming for weekend return, but how much will he play?
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
MIAMI — Later this week, Placido Polanco will travel across the state of Florida to resume playing baseball with the single-A Clearwater Threshers. He plans to rejoin the Phillies on Saturday in Milwaukee after missing nearly a month of action with back inflammation.
He will not be the everyday third baseman upon his return.
"No," Charlie Manuel said. "I probably won't be able to throw him out there every day. We definitely need him back because he is a good defensive player."
It should serve as the latest indication the Phillies will likely move on from Polanco in 2013. The 36-year-old third baseman has a $5.5 million option that general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has not ruled out exercising. Even then, Amaro admitted Polanco's health is a major concern.
Polanco said he expects to play for Clearwater on Wednesday. He took batting practice indoors Sunday and then with the team Monday.
With Kevin Frandsen's emergence at third in Polanco's absence, the Phillies are likely to have the two split time during the season's final six weeks.
Manuel has spoken highly of Frandsen, who started for the 14th straight game Monday, but tempered it somewhat. He is, after all, a 30-year-old with only 242 major-league games to his name.
"When I see someone like that, I like to just leave him alone and let him play," Manuel said. "A lot of times you get real giddy because a guy has a week or a month. You have to have a couple of years.
"Nowadays if you have a good week you live off it for six months. What the hell? That ain't the way it goes. So just leave the guy alone. Let him do it himself. He'll stay more into it. If you really want to make him real, real good, you give him a one-year deal."
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just what the team needs -- return of a 3rd baseman with no speed or power and no onbase pctge ..he's been quite the sparkplug for a team whose offense went from 60 to 10 as soon as Clueless Rube made this nonentity his key hitting acquisition 3 long yrs ago.. note: every utility player on the Yankees is superior to this useless over-the-hill nonentity...— warbiscuit- He went on the DL for being old and I don't think he's recovered.— GreenWing
- Like Schneider, I gotta wonder why we even discuss him being activated for the remainder of the year, if at anything other than an 8th or 9th inning def replacement. I'd sign him next year for $1 mil and give Pierre Polly's $5 mil. Late inning def guys don't need to make more than that.— Mark1npt
- PP: Please take another 3 weeks to make triple sure you are ready to return to the lineup! Honestly, Placido should be fitted for shoulder pads (to protect any possible shoulder injury should he trip into the dugout).....A Nascar style Hans Device with NFL approved helmet (to protect the neck from possible whip lash in turning his head too quickly, the helmet to protect the head should he trip into the dugout)......Leather knee pads and leather gardeners gloves (to protect the knees and hands from injury should he stumble into the dugout).......and chemical protective goggles (to prevent his eyes from injury should an errant sunflower seed hit him in the eye when stumbling into the dugout!
I mean c'mon! The Placido Polanco Injury Tour-2012 needs to be shut down for the rest of the season. I fear for the man should he sign a contract for 2013.....what are the odds he tears a thumb and fore finger ligament when he applies signature to contract????— DelawareRiverRat - f.c.r.n. (Fire Clueless Rube Now)— warbiscuit
- So the Phillies are finally finding out what most fans knew 2 years ago - Polanco is washed up. 2 homeruns and 19 RBI's in 2012 and 5 homeruns and 50 RBIs in 2011. It is embarassing that no attempt was made to improve the offense at this position until now.— zeke128
- If Polanco signs for minimal dollars, he is a very good 2nd/3rd baseman instead of keeping Martinez. Galvis/Polanco makes sense. If Polly wants more than "a cracker" to play, let someone else "nurse" his season along. Its a shame because he is a really good guy and ca class act. Hoping he stays in a "Pierre" kinda way.— drhoffman
- The Phils want to get him back in the lineup just to showcase him for other teams. That way, they can make a waiver deal before August 31. The only way they can get any value for PP is to prove to potential suitors that he is healthy enough to help a contender.— nmlawyer
- Zeke128: total money on your statement. How can a guy w that production be called a major league player? Two years of being invisible. Adios Placido and a 30 year old replacement is not the answer either Cholly.— 76sixers
- Polly has the weakest bat around. DFA.— wo_fat
- I'm not suggesting Frandsen is the answer...but a 30 year old player is not washed up. Many if not most of the best players who ever played had some of their best years in their early thirties.— CallisonTaylorRojas
- If there happens to be a really fast bat boy available, quick offer Kendrick and Polanco and as an added inducement, throw in Martinez. Franzen may be 30 but he hits, hustles, fields his position excellently, so why all the noise about desperate need for a third baseman or, God forbid, extending Polanco?— wkirk
- Hitting guru Magoo will once more show the universe that he is smarter than anyone else and play this rotten tomato 3 out of every 5 games.
Give the gorilla translator a lifetime contract.
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— Quixote II - Loved Polanco in his prime. Unfortunately, that is long gone. Time to cut your losses and let him go. And please don't give me Youkilis as a replacement. Replacing one aging, over-the-hill, injury prone, overpaid third-baseman with another is not progress.— Dragon13
- Speaking of Martinez, what or who does he have pictures of? If you add up last years batting average and this years batting average you still don't have 200. Not an average but a combined total. He is horrible. THE PHILLIES CAN NOT hit good pitching. They are triple A hitters and have been for last three years. They can not manufacture runs because they strike out to much, they can not plate runners when they are in scoring position because they strike out to much, they can not bunt because they CAN'T . The next pitcher that does not throw the ball low and in the dirt to Ryan Howard should be banned for life. If you throw him 500 balls in the dirt he will swing, if you throw one pitch knee high and over outside corner, he will take every time. Our shortstop should be called "jog ro" because thats what he does if he doubts an inside the park is possible, he stopped hustling two years ago but since he's on time for games, he plays.— Pinchy
