PITTSBURGH — Gregory Polanco is finally coming to the major leagues but it is at the expense of one of the Pirates’ best players.
The 22-year-old outfielder will be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. He will take the roster spot of second baseman Neil Walker, who underwent an emergency appendectomy Monday night after being scratched from the lineup about an hour before the Pirates’ 6-2 victory over the Cubs.
Polanco is expected to become the regular right fielder, replacing Josh Harrison, who will move to second base in Walker’s absence.
The Pirates will be moving on for possibly the next month without Walker, who is hitting .280 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 61 games. He is leading National League second basemen in homers, RBIs and fielding percentage as he has committed only one error in 237 total chances for a .996 mark.
Polanco, 22, has been tearing up the International League all season. In 62 games, he hit .347 with seven home runs, 49 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, a .405 on-base percentage and a .540 slugging percentage.
The Pirates had been widely criticized by fans and in the media for not bringing up Polanco sooner, especially with a need in right field. While the Pirates denied it, most people inside the game believe they kept Polanco down in order to make sure he did not accrue enough service time to gain an extra year of salary arbitration rights, which would be costly to the low-budget franchise.
Fantasy Update: If Polanco is available in your league then you need to grab him immediately. He is a five-tool player who will likely hit first in the Pirates lineup.