Miguel Sano took batting practice with the Twins before Saturday’s game against the Tigers and his road to returning from an infected heel laceration is getting closer.
The next step in the third baseman’s recovery will be a conditioning stint that will begin in Fort Myers, Florida, this week, essentially mimicking the start of spring training that Sano missed because he was in a walking boot to allow the cut to repair itself.
“We want to make sure his overall condition and movement is good, because we know that if his condition and movement is good, then he can go play baseball and be unrestricted,” Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey said Saturday, via the team’s website.
“If that’s not good, playing baseball’s not going to help him. There’s a chance he could re-injure himself, so we just want to be careful about that. So we’ll just see where he’s at after about a 10-day period.”
Once Sano’s conditioning is up to par, he’ll likely be sent to Class A Advanced and play some games with the Fort Myers Miracle.
“I’m ready to do everything,” Sano said Saturday. “I feel really good, my leg feels great, and as soon as they tell me I need to start doing everything, I’ll start. I feel really good.”
Sano’s return to the Twins will only add to the power potential the lineup already has with Max Kepler, Nelson Cruz, Eddie Rosario and C.J. Cron packing some power in the top half of the batting order.
