Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco says he never fractured his wrist in winter ball

Whether it was lost in translation or a mistake by the manager of his Dominican winter ball club, Gregory Polanco on Thursday disputed reports he fractured his wrist in the offseason.

“First of all, the injury, they said it the wrong way,” Polanco said on a video conference call from Bradenton, Fla. “I never broke my wrist. I had a little flare on my bone — not the hamate bone.”

Polanco is a full participant in spring training at Pirate City, where Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said the 28-year-old right fielder is “100% ready to go.”

Escogido Lions manager Jose Gomez said in December that Polanco suffered a season-ending wrist injury that would require a cast. The Pirates responded to reports of Polanco’s injury with a statement that said he suffered a small nondisplaced fracture of the triquetrum bone that would need to be immobilized.

Through team translator Mike Gonzalez, Polanco said the information was delivered incorrectly. Polanco then expounded, saying he continued to play through the injury.

“I finished the season,” said Polanco, who batted .197 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 21 games for Escogido. “I kept playing. It wasn’t that bad. They (put it) in a brace for a couple of weeks and I started swinging again in January. I’m doing good now.”

Polanco has endured a laundry list of injuries the past few seasons since injuring his knee and suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery in September 2018. He was limited to 42 games in 2019 and missed the start of last season after contracting covid-19.

“Obviously, it’s been tough the last couple years for me, for my health, but everything happens for a reason,” Polanco said. “I’m here now. I’m just thankful to be back here, and I’m healthy, 100%, and I’m just enjoying every moment, because I’m not taking nothing for granted.

“Every opportunity, every day, I’m out there enjoying it and working hard, because you know, I’ve been through some serious injuries, and in this game, you never know when it’s your last game. So I’m not taking anything for granted right now. Just having fun, enjoying, because this is what I love. I feel so happy right now that I’m able to just go with the whole team and just go practice, swing, run and everything and not be in the training room doing a different schedule because of the injury. So right now, I’m just happy to be with the guys, doing everything everybody’s doing and enjoying the game.”