{"id":846382,"date":"2018-09-29T12:32:21","date_gmt":"2018-09-29T16:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/?p=846382"},"modified":"2018-09-29T15:39:37","modified_gmt":"2018-09-29T19:39:37","slug":"pittsburgh-pirates-have-options-gregory-polanco-pbd11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsdaily.com\/news\/pittsburgh-pirates-have-options-gregory-polanco-pbd11\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pittsburgh Pirates have options to fill in for Gregory Polanco to start 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
Gregory Polanco<\/a> put together arguably his best season so far of his young career in 2018, and he could have definitely made it his best had a horrible <\/span>slide<\/span><\/a> into second base not prematurely ended his season a few weeks ago. However, it turned out the injury was much more severe as it resulted in Polanco undergoing surgery on his shoulder, potentially taking him out of action in 2019 until as late as June.<\/span><\/p>\n While the loss of Polanco is unmistakable, the Pirates do have some players in house that can fill in for him if they elect not explore the free agent market. Here are a few players already on the roster that could be in line for playing time as Polanco recovers.<\/span><\/p>\n Pablos Reyes has been playing very well since joining the big club this month should be a top contender for playing time heading into 2019. Already a 0.4 WAR player in just 15 games, Reyes has hit three home runs and an impressive slash line of .319\/.385\/.532 in 47 at-bats. \u00a0Reyes hit eight home runs in 356 at-bats once he was promoted to Indianapolis, so the rate that he is currently hitting them with the Pirates will most certainly normalize once the league adjusts to him. Reyes is definitely the most exciting and refreshing option to take over to start 2019. A strong finish to this season and a good spring training could land him the job. <\/span><\/p>\n Jordan Luplow<\/a> was penciled into a starting job in the outfield entering 2018 before the team acquired Corey Dickerson<\/a>. Luplow has had limited appearances with the Pirates this year, tallying just 92 at-bats across 37 games. He is hitting .185\/.272\/.359 this year, which is fairly similar to the .205\/.276\/.385 he put up last year in 78 at-bats. Luplow did knock 23 home runs in 414 at-bats with Altoona and Indianapolis in 2017, so he could eventually find his stroke at the Major League level. But given what Reyes has done in his limited time with the Pirates, Luplow may have an uphill battle if the team decides to give those innings to one of their less experienced ballplayers. <\/span><\/p>\n While he logged most of his innings at second base this year, Adam Frazier<\/a> could be a viable fill-in until Polanco recovers from his injuries. Frazier has hit .280\/.346\/.460 this year with ten home runs. Frazier has logged 180.1 innings in the outfield this year compared to the 511.1 he played across the three positions in 2017, so he is no stranger to patrolling the outfield. The issue is that Frazier could be the team\u2019s starting second baseman next year, a position that his skill set projects better at given what he has done up to date. <\/span><\/p>\n