Article: Miguel Sano To Miss Opening Day

[Parker Hageman]

If it weren’t for bad luck, Miguel Sano might not have any luck at all.

 

The Minnesota Twins announced that their starting third base has undergone a debridement procedure on his lower Achilles to clean and repair the wound which he suffered in the Dominican Republic before spring training.

 

As such the Twins will be without Sano's services on Opening Day.According to the Twins' Executive Vice President and Chief Baseball Officer, Derek Falvey, Sano was flown back to Minnesota on Monday to have his wound readdressed by doctors at the Mayo Clinic.

 

“He’s out of the picture right now for Opening Day, that’s the most noteworthy piece,” said Falvey. "This was the right step to proceed, to have the healing going a little more the way we had hoped, we’re looking at baseball activity again in the middle of April.”

 

Factor in a rehab stint and the Twins are projecting an early May return.

 

The procedure, performed by Dr. Nho Tran at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, will keep Sano off his feet for several days at which point he will be placed in a hard cast to restrict movement. When that is removed, if the healing has progressed, he will return to the walking boot for another week. In all, he could be back on the field and going through an abbreviated spring training process by early April.

 

Sano initially cut his foot while celebrating his team's Dominican Winter League championship in San Pedro de Macoris.

 

"The entire town came out. [At the stage], the president of the team called every player up, one by one, to say thank you for the support," Sano told the Star Tribune. "Someone dropped liquid on the stage, someone else slipped, that person pushed me, I slipped down the starts and I caught my [heel] on them."

 

The initial wound, which required stitches, eventually had a low grade infection that the Twins treated.

 

The area around the wound, which was more of a blunt cut than a clean one, is taut and the movement prior to the placement of the walking boot damaged the sutures from the stress. At that time, the Twins medical staff consulted numerous specialists and determined that the best course of action was to reinsert sutures, attack it aggressively with treatment, and wait to see how it responded. Reassessed after ten days and not seeing the results they desired, the team's medical staff felt that it was in Sano's best interest to clean and close the wound again.

 

During this process, the Twins have been pleased with the amount of work Sano has continued to put in despite being limited in a boot. He has spent significant time in the weight room.

 

"I saw him sweating more frequently than I thought I would given that he’s wearing a boot," Falvey said.

 

"There is not a disappointment in anything about Miguel," manager Rocco Baldelli said. "There’s more of a disappointment for him, I actually feel bad that he’s dealing with what he’s dealing with."

 

With a stint on the injury list, it is likely that Marwin Gonzalez will go forward as the team's Opening Day starting third baseman.

 

"I think we said when we signed Marwin, one of the benefits to having Marwin is that he will play multiple positions and fill for you if there is an issue in one spot," said Falvey. "This is an issue in one spot right now.”

 

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[HrbekRules]

This is just plain bad luck, hopefully there are no other setbacks.

[Battle ur tail off]

 

This is just plain bad luck, hopefully there are no other setbacks.

 

No it's not. It was either a lie to what really happened, or it has been treated by a 3rd world doctor. There isn't any cut you could make that would have a player out that long. 

 

Maybe he sliced his achilles tendon. That would make more sense. A cut on the heel though? Yah right.

[gunnarthor]

This season is going to suck, isn't it?

[Vanimal46]

Why wasn't this taken care of in, I don't know, February?

[Battle ur tail off]

 

Why wasn't this taken care of in, I don't know, February?

 

Exactly. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The medical staff for this club has to be the worst in professional sports. 

[TFRazor]

 

Exactly. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The medical staff for this club has to be the worst in professional sports. 

Part of this has to be put on the patient as well. The medical staff can only do so much if there's a lack of communication. If he's not telling them that he thinks something is wrong then that's on him. Not giving a pass to the medical staff but Sano does deserve some of the blame for this.

[gocgo]

I was going to say "Unbelievable!"...but the more I think about it, I should say "Expected!".

[nicksaviking]

 

****Moderator Note****

 

Please stop with the unsubstantiated accusations of malpractice and conspiracies. We already did this once upon the original news of the cut, let's not do it again.

[baumannmd]

On the bright side, it just got a lot more likely that Astudillo will break camp with the big club....?

 

Bad luck or not, even the most ardent Sano supporters have got to be on their last ounce of patience now. It's a shame. We've been waiting for years to see what kind of numbers Sano could put up in a full season. Guess we'll have to wait another season to find out.

[ahart10]

You say bad luck for Sano. I say good luck for the Twins. Let’s quit putting our hopes on a Chris carter, Mark Reynolds type. Time for Marwin and Astudillo to shine.

[USAFChief]

Huh. 

 

Least surprising news of the spring.

[Parker Hageman]

 

No it's not. It was either a lie to what really happened, or it has been treated by a 3rd world doctor. There isn't any cut you could make that would have a player out that long. 

 

Maybe he sliced his achilles tendon. That would make more sense. A cut on the heel though? Yah right.

 

The area is just above the heel, closer to the achilles. The team's trainer said that the initial closure performed in the Dominican appeared to be good (the medical staff were sent images of that work). The Twins did not have a concern at that point but without something immobilizing his foot, he eventually reopened it. 

[TwinsfaninPA]

It's on Sano, he is either fat and out of shape, or backing into a cop, or allegedly assaulting a woman.  There are too many problems with him.  Time to grow up big boy!  I want people who want to be professionals on this club not those who are children!

[scottz]

Breaking News

[bighat]

The Sano pile-on doesn't need any help from me.

 

But that Marwin Gonzalez signing looks absolutely brilliant right now. I'm guessing the Twins knew exactly how bad that heel was when they added Marwin to the roster. Great move. I suspect one of the reasons the injury was downplayed in the media was so that the Twins could sign Marwin and save a few bucks while they were at it. A bad injury and a blow to the morale for sure - but very savvy handling by the front office.

[bunt_vs_the_shift]

Lower achilles sounds scary. As a past critic, I do feel bad for Sano. By all accounts he committed himself to the process this offseason and I really felt like he was going to come in with a chip on his shoulder and start to play to his potential, so let's hope this is just a minor setback.

 

Sure would be nice to have that Escobar guy to just step in and be productive... 

 

Go get em Marwin! (and of course, Astudillo)

[bobs]

GOOD.  GRIEF.  

[bobs]

They may be better off with Gonzalez anyway?  

[ToddlerHarmon]

Not in the camp that thinks we are better off with Marwin. But willing to see a silver lining in that Astudillo gets an extended audition.

[Taildragger8791]

Even if the Twins trusted Sano's doctors to take care of it, why take the risk of letting it be handled by someone outside the organization? And why compound that risk by waiting until spring training to look at the healing progress? There's way too much on the line to take a wait-and-see approach to player injuries. Every week a player misses has a ripple effect throughout the rest of the season.

[Otto von Ballpark]

But that Marwin Gonzalez signing looks absolutely brilliant right now. I'm guessing the Twins knew exactly how bad that heel was when they added Marwin to the roster. Great move. I suspect one of the reasons the injury was downplayed in the media was so that the Twins could sign Marwin and save a few bucks while they were at it. A bad injury and a blow to the morale for sure - but very savvy handling by the front office.

I'm not so sure. A lot of folks were already applauding the Gonzalez move because he was going to fill in all over. Now it's brilliant because he's going to be our primary 3B instead? Wouldn't that sap some of his perceived super-sub value?

 

Not that it means the Gonzalez deal is bad or anything. In fact, I argued at the time he was as much Sano insurance as a supersub, and that wasn't a bad thing.

[Vanimal46]

Forgive me if I don't believe a word the team says about recovery/return date. Last year we were told Erv's minor finger injury would only keep him out until early May too.

[Mike Sixel]

You know....surgery is a last resort. The team was ok with how it was handled, and things went worse than people expected. I don't get how this is on the patient at all......Sometimes, stuff happens, and it isn't anyone's fault. The rush to judge is super sad.

Edited March 5, 2019 by Mike Sixel

[Parker Hageman]

Even if the Twins trusted Sano's doctors to take care of it, why take the risk of letting it be handled by someone outside the organization? And why compound that risk by waiting until spring training to look at the healing progress?

 

 

From what the team's trainer told us, its a situation where you get it stitched up right away. It was bleeding, needed to be closed. They saw the images and had progress sent to them and felt OK about how it was going at that time. They consulted other experts and the collective advice was to treat it with creams, ointments, bandages and it should heal.

 

With the stretching and the sutures coming loose the skin started growing around it and not closing the way it should. Which is when they decided to take out the sutures and re-close while giving him the walking boot it 10 days ago. That progress, according to the doctors, stalled again. 

 

They didn't specify what they would have done differently but no one said that he should be in the boot until it became clear that it was already opening the wound. It's possible that if he had immobilized it right away, then he might not be in Rochester right now.

[AlwaysinModeration]

I came here for the pitchforks, and found them!

 

Honestly I was a bit wary about the 7-10 day timetable.

 

What was the liquid on the stage?

 

How did he cut his heel on stairs so that he needed stitches? Was he barefoot?

 

Did the infection occur after the wound reopened? Shouldn’t he be under instruction to be careful with the stitches to avoid reopening the wound or getting it infected?

 

If he kept working out while injured, did that factor into the setback?

 

There’s was a lot of info in this story, Parker, so thank you. I stil came away with more questions!

[wavedog]

At least we don't have to worry where Gonzalez is going to fit in the opening day  lineup.  Probably gives Astudillo a spot on the roster as well.   I can't speak for certain on the reason this injury is prolonged  but I can look at Sano's injury history and be very concerned on his staying ability going forward.    Tommy John for the throwing arm, a stress reaction in his leg that took a very long time to heal in 2017 and needed a metal rod inserted in his shin and now this spike injury that won't heal properly all happening at age 25 and younger.    I can throw in a few hamstring tweaks in there as well - one thing we know is he is not a quick healer.     

[vavo]

All the people suggesting this is a screw up by Sano or a Dominican doctor apparently are unfamiliar with the variability of human bodies and inexactness of modern medicine.

 

It seems every step of the way the doctors/trainers and Sano have done what was expected. Unfortunately it hasn't worked out the way they all hoped. That doesn't mean mistakes were made.

 

Who hasn't had a doctors appointment end with the doctor saying, "Come back in 4-6 weeks and we'll see how it's progressing."

 

No need to assign blame for all bad news.

[USAFChief]

 

All the people suggesting this is a screw up by Sano or a Dominican doctor apparently are unfamiliar with the variability of human bodies and inexactness of modern medicine.

 

It seems every step of the way the doctors/trainers and Sano have done what was expected. Unfortunately it hasn't worked out the way they all hoped. That doesn't mean mistakes were made.

 

Who hasn't had a doctors appointment end with the doctor saying, "Come back in 4-6 weeks and we'll see how it's progressing."

 

No need to assign blame for all bad news.

raises hand

[Walter's Whites]

Can we all agree "The First Cut is the Deepest" should be Sano's walkup song first game back?