Polanco back, healthy and smiling again
“They were worried about me. They asked, ‘Are you OK?’ I said, ‘I’m good. I’m just chilling, man, trying to test negative.’”
— Gregory Polanco
Gregory Polanco isn’t really sure how he contracted COVID-19.
He said he did and does spend all of his time either at his apartment or at the ballpark. Even still, Polanco contracted the coronavirus during summer camp. His symptoms were relatively mild, he said. He had chills and a headache for a day or two, in addition to a sore throat for a few days. Mostly, Polanco was just tired. He’d spend his days exclusively at his apartment and would still feel fatigued.
The positive now is that Polanco is back, and, as far as anyone knows, he did not pass the virus along to any teammates. A good share of the credit for that fact can be given to Polanco’s response to his symptoms, notifying head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk, manager Derek Shelton and the Pirates how he felt before going into quarantine.
That proactivity might have saved the Pirates from a situation like the Miami Marlins are dealing with, where more than 15 players have tested positive for COVID-19.
Polanco said Tomczyk, Shelton and general manager Ben Cherington called him to thank him for that and stayed in contact with him regularly during his quarantine to check in and see how he was holding up.
“That’s what I love about my teammates and my coach,” Polanco said Wednesday. “They stay in contact every single day, checking on me, asking me how I was doing and how I was feeling. They were worried about me. They asked, ‘Are you OK?’ I said, ‘I’m good. I’m just chilling, man, trying to test negative.’ I wasn’t sick like that. I don’t even know how I got that.”
While Polanco feels well physically again, thanks in part to some of the work he put in while quarantined at home, it isn’t easy to get back up to speed on the mental side of the game.
His timing and comfort at the plate must be worked out in a batter’s box against live pitching. With no minor league system available for rehabilitation games, that means trying to get up to speed in batting practices and in actual major league games.
Still, Polanco will get his chance to reacclimate. He rejoined the team Monday and started as the designated hitter. Tuesday, he pinch-hit for Guillermo Heredia in the seventh inning. Combined, he went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts and a walk.
In the series finale Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers, Polanco started his first game in right field.
“Every day, I make a little progress, and my body’s feeling better and better every day, so that’s all that matters right now, that my body is healthy,” Polanco said Wednesday. “I feel healthy. I feel strong, and, like I said, try to find my timing ASAP, because we don’t have that much time. So we’re working a lot every day — a lot. I’m taking a lot of swings in the cage outside, with my routine, I’m on top of that every day.”
Shelton has complimented Polanco’s attitude, citing the great energy and positive attitude he brings to the team. On the field, he fills a position in right field that the Pirates have had to get creative to fill at times already this season. For example, Cole Tucker, usually an infielder, made his second start there Tuesday.
Polanco brings experience to that position and a higher upside offensively.
“The kid’s smile is infectious,” Shelton said. “And when I say kid, the thing we’ve got to remember is that he’s 28 still. I know he’s the longest-tenured Pirate, and we should respect that because he was here through some really good times and expect him to be here through some good times. But I love having him around. He’s happy. He’s in a good mood. He smiles. He’s great in the clubhouse. So having him back makes me smile because every day when he walks in, he smiles.”
Added Polanco: “Like you said, I’ve been through a lot the past two years, and I’ve been working every day, like my offseason. I didn’t have an offseason. I was just working, and, for sure, right when we were about to play, I had to sit down, but like I said, I’m grateful, man.
“I’m not even mad at all. I’m not even mad that I got sick or whatever, I’m just grateful that I went through that and I’m past it. I’m still alive, I’m healthy and I’m here.”