Jorge Polanco A Fall-Back Plan For Astros At Third Base
If the Houston Astros are unable to re-sign third baseman Alex Bregman this offseason, free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco is at the top of their list as a contingency plan at the hot corner. Polanco will be looking for a rebound season in 2025 after coming off knee surgery. The veteran switch-hitter had a career-low .651 OPS in 118 games with the Seattle Mariners this past season but also had a .724 OPS with 11 of his 16 long balls on the year in 63 games from July 9 on. If the team loses Bregman and goes cheaper at third base, they could look to upgrade at first base, where they've discussed free-agent first baseman Christian Walker. Polanco is capable of bouncing back and should be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season, but his health is a major question mark, as he's played in 120 games only three times since debuting in 2014.
Jorge Polanco On Track To Be Cleared For Baseball Activity By January
Free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco (knee) is on track to be cleared for full baseball activities by January and is currently recovering on schedule after having surgery to fix the patellar tendon in his left knee, according to his agent, Ulises Cabrera. Polanco dealt with the knee issue for much of his first season with the Seattle Mariners in 2024 and was limited to 118 games, slashing a weak .213/.296/.355 with a career-worst .651 OPS, 16 home runs, 45 RBI, four stolen bases and 43 runs scored in 469 plate appearances. As a result of the disappointing season and his injury, the Mariners wisely declined Polanco's $12 million club option for the 2025 season. With better health, Polanco could have a bounce-back season elsewhere, but the Dominican infielder is known to be injury-prone, only playing in over 150 games twice in his 11 big-league seasons.
The Seattle Mariners are declining the 2025 club option on second baseman Jorge Polanco according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Polanco will receive $750,000 and become a free agent. the 31-year-old struggled in his first season in Seattle as he hit for an underwhelming .213/.296/.355 with 16 home runs, 45 RBI, and four swiped bags. In 2024, he posted a career-worst 29.3% K rate. This was a stark decline from the .255/.335/.454 line he held in 2023 with the Minnesota Twins. Despite his drop in production, Polanco could find a starting role with a new club in 2025 and may be worth a look as a late-option in drafts this offseason.
Jorge Polanco Has Knee Surgery, Expected To Be Ready For Spring Training
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (knee) had surgery to fix the patellar tendon in his left knee and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February, according to sources. Polanco has dealt with knee pain in recent seasons and really struggled at the plate in 2024 with the M's while playing through it. The 31-year-old veteran switch-hitter was mainly bothered hitting left-handed, batting .198/.301/.345. Overall, he hit only .213/.296/.355 with 16 long balls and 45 RBI in his first year in Seattle. The surgery should help Polanco get some of his prodigious power back, as well as his lateral movement. Coming off the bad season, it's unknown where Polanco will be playing in 2025, really hurting his all-around fantasy stock. The Mariners have a $12 million club option with a $750,000 buyout and must decide whether to pick it up in early November. After posting a career-low .651 OPS, we'd expect Seattle to decline his option and make him a free agent.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (knee) is back in the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Boston Red Sox. This is good news after Polanco was removed from Sunday's contest due to a minor knee issue. The 31-year-old appears to be fine and will play second base while batting cleanup against right-hander Nick Pivetta on Monday. Fantasy managers who have Polanco rostered can get him back in their lineups.
Jorge Polanco Leads The Way With Two-Home Run Game On Saturday
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco led the way on Saturday evening as he went 3-for-5 with two home runs and a single. He launched his first solo shot in the fourth and his second in the fifth. Then, in the eighth inning, he hit a line drive single to right field to score newly acquired Mariner Randy Arozarena. This is Polanco's second consecutive game going deep, and he now sits with four long balls this month. In addition, Polanco has only gone hitless twice across his past nine games, which suggests he could be turning the corner on what has been a disappointing season. The 31-year-old is worth adding in deeper leagues and could be a popular play in DFS on Sunday as he looks to stay hot at the plate.
Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 31-year-old has been sluggish with the bat since returning from the injured list. He has an ugly .192/.222/.231 slash line over 27 plate appearances since returning to the field. Dylan Moore will take over second base and bat eighth versus right-hander Kevin Gausman on Friday.
Jorge Polanco Reinstated From The 10-Day Injured List
The Seattle Mariners reinstated second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) from the 10-day injured list ahead of the team's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. Polanco has been out since May 26 due to a right hamstring strain, but he should resume his everyday role as the Mariners' second baseman upon his return. It has been a rough start to the year for the 30-year-old at the plate, as he is hitting just .195 with five home runs, two doubles, and 14 RBI in 46 games this season. Given his poor numbers in 2024, Polanco should likely be left on waivers in most fantasy leagues right now.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) went 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, two run scored, a walk and a strikeout in his latest minor-league rehab game with Triple-A Tacoma on Friday night. Polanco was also able to play a full game on defense, so it would be a surprise if he's not reinstated from the injured list to join the team in Miami against the Marlins. The 30-year-old switch-hitter finally got his bat going during his rehab assignment, and fantasy managers in deeper leagues will be hoping he can carry that over to the big leagues. When he returns to the M's, he'll be carrying a weak .195/.293/.302 slash line with five homers and 14 RBI in his 159 at-bats. Despite his poor performance in Seattle so far, Polanco is going to see regular playing time at second base.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (hamstring) played a full minor-league rehab game on Wednesday with Triple-A Tacoma as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. Now that Polanco has played in back-to-back games two separate times on his rehab assignment means that his return to Seattle is probably imminent. The 30-year-old switch-hitter played seven innings at second base on Tuesday and should be back from the 10-day injured by the weekend. Polanco should return to regular starting duties at the keystone for the M's when he's reinstated, although his .195/.293/.302 slash line with five home runs and 14 RBI in 159 at-bats in his first year in Seattle has left a lot to be desired by fantasy managers. Rookie Ryan Bliss has seen some run at second with Polanco injured.
