Twins megaprospect Miguel Sano will shut down for the rest of the winter ball season because of a strained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Sano flew to the Twin Cities last week to be examined by team physicians Dr. John Steubs and Dr. Diane Dahm. But Sano's agent, Rob Plummer, said they decided to seek a second opinion. So on Tuesday, the third baseman flew to Birmingham, Ala., to be examined by famed specialist Dr. James Andrews.
Andrews concurred with the Twins' diagnosis that there is a strain but nothing more serious.
Sano will rest for five weeks, then begin a rehab program in the Dominican Republic. He will travel to Fort Myers, Fla., in January to continue rehab. He's expected to be ready in time for spring training, where he has a chance to be invited to major league camp.
Sano, 20, played in just two games for Estrellas of the Dominican winter league before sitting out the past two weeks because of the elbow, It didn't respond as well as everyone hoped, leading to more examinations.
In 123 games between Class A Fort Myers and Class AA New Britain, Sano batted .280 this season with 35 home runs and 103 RBI. He batted just .236 at New Britain but hit 19 of his homers there. Sano is considered one of the top ten prospects in all of baseball and second in the Twins system to outfielder Byron Buxton.
