FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After two months of caution with Miguel Sano's throwing elbow, it took only one game for the soreness to return.
Sano, the Twins' top slugging prospect, "felt something" in his elbow after making a rushed, off-balance throw during Minnesota's intrasquad game on Thursday, assistant general manager Rob Antony said. And the third baseman's elbow was still sore on Friday.
"He's going to get it checked out [Friday] afternoon," Antony said. "... We've got to figure out what the degree is, and we may have to make a decision sooner rather than later."
Sano first experienced the soreness in his right elbow shortly after the 2013 season ended, but no structural damage was found in four different examinations by team doctors. Still, the Twins kept him from throwing for six weeks, then limited the amount of throwing he did in drills once camp opened.
"But we knew it wasn't going to be until he started getting into games" that the Twins could be certain he was healthy, Antony said. After Sano successfully made the awkward play on Suzuki's fourth-inning soft grounder Thursday, he was asked in the dugout how he felt. "He said he felt it a little bit on that one, so they took him out of the game and we'll get it checked out."
The 20-year-old Dominican, who smashed 35 home runs between Class A and AA last season, will miss at least a couple of games, Antony said, while the Twins determine what action to take.
Meanwhile, Pedro Florimon is still at least a week away from being able to return to the field, Antony said. The Twins' shortstop underwent surgery to remove his appendix on Feb. 17, and Antony said he may need to start the season on the disabled list. "We thought from the beginning that it was going to be close at the end" of camp, he said.
