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Jeff Passan, ESPNOct 10, 2024, 05:06 PM ET
- ESPN MLB insider
Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco underwent surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee and expects to be ready for the beginning of spring training, sources told ESPN.
Polanco, 31, a switch-hitter acquired last winter by the Mariners, struggled with knee pain in recent years. While it grew more problematic through the 2024 season, Polanco tried to play through it and saw his offensive output crater, sources said.
It affected Polanco particularly from the left side of the plate, where he hit .198/.301/.345 in 2024 — an OPS more than 150 points below his career average entering the season. In 118 games, Polanco hit .213/.296/.355 with 16 home runs and 45 RBIs for the Mariners, who finished a game back of a postseason berth.
An 11-year veteran, Polanco established himself as a well-above-average hitter during his first 10 seasons with the Minnesota Twins. Over 950 career games, he has batted .263/.330/.435 with 128 home runs and 492 RBIs while playing second and third base.
The surgery performed Thursday by Dr. Dan Cooper, the Dallas Cowboys’ orthopedist who specializes in knee procedures, should also help Polanco’s lateral movement on defense.
Where Polanco will play in 2025 is unknown. The Mariners hold a $12 million club option with a $750,000 buyout and must decide whether to pick it up in early November.
Seattle is expected to carry a payroll similar to that of 2024, when it spent around $150 million. Multiple Mariners are in line for large raises in arbitration, with catcher Cal Raleigh and right-hander George Kirby first-time eligible, right-hander Logan Gilbert entering his second arbitration year and left fielder Randy Arozarena his third.
