Twins first baseman Miguel Sanó will undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, manager Rocco Badelli announced on Tuesday. According to Baldelli, there's not yet a time-table for Sanó's return.
Sanó appeared to suffer the injury against the Tigers on Tuesday. He returned to the Minnesota lineup on Saturday but wound up being lifted mid-game because of ongoing discomfort in his knee. Initially diagnosed with a left knee sprain, Sanó was placed on the injured list on Monday.
Sanó, who turns 29 on May 11, was off to a brutally slow start this season, but that's across a sample of just 65 plate appearances. For his career, he owns a slash line of .234/.326/.483 (117 OPS+), and he's coming off a 30-homer season in 2021. Sanó previously made the All-Star team in 2017.
Despite the lack of production from one of their core hitters, the Twins enter play Tuesday in first place in the AL Central and with a 3 1/2-game lead over the second-place Guardians. Minnesota invested significantly in the 2022 roster, most notably with the free-agent addition of star shortstop Carlos Correa. No doubt, the hope will be that Sanó can return in time to play again this season and perhaps be something close to vintage form in the event of a playoff berth. In the meantime, Luis Arreaz figures to be the Twins' primary at first base.
