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Remember back in August when Miguel Sano fouled a ball off his shin and ended up on the DL? It turns out he had a stress reaction, which is like a not-as-bad stress fracture or something, and it’s been slow to heal. Even so, Sano tried to make a make a come back before the season was over, seeing limited action over the last three games of the year against the Tigers. He didn’t do well, and he was still in a lot of pain. In fact, that was the reason he wasn’t even on the wild card game roster—he wasn’t healthy enough to be useful.
Today, GM Thad Levine told reporters that the team and Sano are considering surgery to fix the issue. The surgery would involve inserting a titanium rod into Sano’s leg to stabilize the bone.
Aaaaaah! While it sorta sounds like a crazy procedure, it’s actually quite common among athletes, just not so much in baseball. Think like Kevin Ware and Paul George-type injuries in basketball. Football players too; apparently Colin Kaepernick had the surgery back in 2011.
Before you even go there—it doesn’t sound like Sano’s weight has much to do with the injury. The Twins, however, are apparently hoping Miguel stays focused on getting in shape this off season:
Molitor on Sano weight issue: "His heart, mind, soul are in the right places. He just hasn't figured out the best way to get to his goals."
— Justin Gaard (@jgkfan) October 10, 2017
More Molitor on Sano: "He can do better...I don't know how big is too big for Miggy...he's a big guy. We can do better."
— Justin Gaard (@jgkfan) October 10, 2017
Recovery from the surgery, if Sano opts to get it, is eight weeks, so a decision will probably be made in the near future.