Miguel Sano is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list Wednesday, but that won't happen. His recovery from a stress reaction in his left tibia is progressing slower than anticipated.
Sano is still dealing with some soreness in the area and has not been able to resume baseball activities. Sano is likely staring at several more days in the trainer's room.
For now, all Sano can do is ride a bike and use the underwater treadmill for cardiovascular benefits.
"It's unfortunate that it is moving rather slowly," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.
Sano injured the bone Aug. 18 when he fouled a pitch off it. He tried playing the next game but could not run. A stress reaction can be a precursor to a stress fracture, so it can't be taken lightly. But history shows that the bone can heal in a couple weeks. A bone stimulator has been used in the past on stress reactions such as the one Sano has.
"They are considering some other things that might help expedite the healing of the bone," Molitor said.
It's a setback for the Twins as they attempt to reach the postseason for the first time since 2010. The club has made up for his absence, and then some, by scoring 161 runs in August, the second most in baseball. And they are averaging 6.4 runs per game since Sano left the lineup.
But they will need Sano, who has a team-high 28 home runs and 77 RBI, to continue their unexpected run.
