FORT MYERS, FLA. – For Miguel Sano, the past 16 months have been about one thing.
"Practice, practice, practice," the Twins' top minor league slugger said. "I try to, when I come back, be ready."
He was ready on Wednesday, and Sano, a 21-year-old third baseman from the Dominican Republic, was in Paul Molitor's first lineup as Twins manager, batting fifth in the exhibition opener against the Gophers baseball team. It was the first time since a Dominican Winter League game on Oct. 19, 2013, that Sano had faced anyone other than a teammate at the plate.
"It's exciting," Sano said before the game, after showing reporters the circular scar on his right elbow, the result of Tommy John ligament replacement surgery last spring that cost him all of 2014. "It's pretty good. [The elbow] doesn't bother me at all."
It certainly doesn't bother his swing; Sano's batting practice sessions have become a must-see highlight of the Twins' camp, a power display reminiscent of Jim Thome's days in Minnesota.
That's great news for Molitor, who has been watching the minor league star closely. "I kind of tried to monitor how he's doing in the drills. He hasn't had any issues with that elbow," Molitor said.
Sano smashed a single up the middle in his first at-bat of the spring, a reflection of his current emphasis on using the whole field.
"Tonight, [I] try to hit the ball to right field. Because if I can hit to right field, I can hit to left and in the middle," he said. "I can hit every pitch, and that's what I try to do all the time. [Stay] inside the ball [and hit a] line drive to right field. If they throw me inside, I can pull."