BRADENTON, Fla. -- Gregory Polanco finally accepted his arm was not going to get better in 2019 once the weather started getting warmer.
Coming off a major surgery -- and his first surgery of any kind -- he didn't know what to expect while getting ready for the start of last season. He hoped the lingering pain in his left shoulder was a product of the colder weather, and that he would feel better as the temperature rose.
As the season progressed, it became clear that it wasn't cool Pittsburgh spring nights that were causing the pain. He wasn't fully healthy and had rushed back too soon. His season came to a close in June after just 42 games.
It took three platelet plasma shots to his left shoulder, rehab and most importantly, time, but Polanco is back in the Pirates' camp. 17 months removed from the slide that made the surgery necessary, he feels "way better" than he did at this time last year.
"Way better."
Now he's ready to return to the field and put in a full season.
"That's my main goal right now, just to play," Polanco told reporters at his locker Saturday. " ... I just want to stay healthy and play 150, 140 games."
Injuries have haunted Polanco the past three seasons. He hasn't played 140 games since 2016. He hasn't played 150 since 2015.
After being sidelined so much, he wanted to return as quickly as possible to contribute in 2019. While he hit well for a bit, he had a hard time fielding his position and making throws from right field.
At the end of last season, he admitted he rushed back.
"That was probably not a good idea to play like that," Polanco said Saturday. "I couldn't help the team the way I wanted to."
That's why he was patient with his shoulder this winter, taking care of it and going to therapy six times a week.
"I didn't take an offseason. I went straight to therapy," he said.
If it wasn't therapy, he was getting a deep tissue massage on his shoulder. If it wasn't that, he was stretching his shoulder. He put in a lot of work to make his throwing arm stronger, and watching him take swings in the cage and hug his teammates, it makes that commitment look worth it.
"I feel so thankful," Polanco said. "I'm healthy. It feels great to be back. I'm happy to be back. It feels so good to be healthy."
Derek Shelton noticed and appreciated Polanco's positive energy coming into camp.
"To have a guy that's that good of an athlete and he walks on the field and he's healthy, with a smile on his face, that's a good day," Shelton said with a grin.
Polanco can provide the Pirates some much-needed pop in 2020. Last year the Pirates hit 163 home runs, finishing 27th in baseball. After trading away Starling Marte last month, they are returning only one batter who hit 20 home runs in 2019: Josh Bell, who hit 37.
"He extends our lineup completely," Shelton said. "When he's been here and he's been healthy, he's been a really good player."
The Pirates' director of sports medicine, Todd Tomczyk, told reporters earlier this week Polanco would be able to work without restriction this spring. He will be monitored closely.
Polanco has no regrets with how the past year went. Instead, he is focused on regaining his 2018 form where he became one of the National League's leaders in slugging.
"That's why I worked so hard," he said. "To be able to get that feeling, to have that confidence ... if I'm healthy, if I've got my confidence, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a good year."
