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Twins expect Jose Miranda at third on Opening Day

betsy helfand, pioneer press
·4 min read
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In his first game back at third base this spring, Jose Miranda didn’t have any groundball opportunities. In his second game, just one, so the infielder hasn’t had much of a chance to really test out his sore right shoulder in game action.

But it’s gotten progressively better this spring to the point where manager Rocco Baldelli thinks the 24-year-old will be at his natural position come Opening Day on Thursday. Miranda spent most of the spring serving as the team’s designated hitter before only recently starting to play the field again.

“Obviously I’m not going to say it feels incredible, 100 percent right now, but it’s going to keep improving,” Miranda said. “As of right now, it feels pretty good.”

It’ll take daily maintenance and work in the trainer’s room to get it to where he wants it to be, but Miranda seemed confident that that day would be soon. The shoulder, meanwhile, had no affect on him at the plate — and Miranda put up the performance this spring to show it, hitting .325 with five home runs and a 1.225 OPS.

Miranda went 3 for 4 on Monday, his last game of spring, with a walk, and said afterwards that both his body and his swing felt good.

“I’m working always, trying to get better every day,” he said. “That’s my mentality. I want to keep getting better, not just this year, but for the rest of my career, keep improving.”

Polanco progresses

The Twins boarded a plane bound towards Kansas City on Tuesday, leaving second baseman Jorge Polanco behind as he continues to rehab from a knee injury that has bothered him since last August.

Polanco said he was “finally doing things at 100 percent,” noting that he has been taking ground balls, taking batting practice and running as he progresses toward a return. About two weeks ago, he had a setback, exhibiting enough pain to the point where the Twins slowed him down. He hasn’t taken live batting practice since before then, he said.

“It just wasn’t 100 percent ready,” he said. “It was probably like 70, 80. That’s why I stopped taking live and came back to my rehab routine, strengthening routine. Now, I’m feeling better.”

Polanco said Monday he wasn’t exactly sure when he was going to play in a game but expected to hit in front of the trainers before they left for Kansas City and then to eventually graduate to game play soon.

Once that happened, he said it would take “hopefully just a couple of games,” before he was ready to return. He will stay in Fort Myers, Fla., before then, participating in extended spring.

“It’s tough. I’m not going to lie,” he said. “It’s tough for me to not be part of Opening Day. … I know we’re going to start the season strong, and I know I’m going to get better. I’m going to get healthy, and I’m going to join them when I feel really good.”

Scoreboard 2.0

The Twins unveiled the ‘Scoreboard 2.0’ project on Tuesday at Target Field, which the club is touting as the most “expansive renovations,” of the ballpark since its opening in 2010.

The project cost $29.5 million and was funded by the Twins and the Minnesota Ballpark Authority’s Ballpark Capital Reserve Fund. Upon its completion, the main videoboard is now 76 percent larger, and the auxiliary board is 54 percent larger. Other video displays around the ballpark have been increased, as well.

In addition, the Minnie and Paul Celebration Sign in center field now reads “Win! Twins!” and the handshake between Minnie and Paul is now mechanical with customizable LED lighting along the edges of the sign. A Baseball Medallion has been added to the tower in right field, as well.

Briefly

The Twins reassigned catcher Tony Wolters to minor league camp on Tuesday. … They also granted right-handed reliever Jeff Hoffman his released and traded left-hander Danny Coulombe to Baltimore for cash considerations. Coulombe will be on the Orioles’ Opening Day roster.

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