Jorge Polanco Takes Swings at Seattle Mariners Spring Training After Offseason Surgery

Polanco had knee surgery this offseason and returned to the Mariners on a one-year deal. After questions about how healthy he would be at spring training, he certainly looked the part in Wednesday's action.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco (7) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on Sept 8, 2024. / Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025 Seattle Mariners season, one of the biggest storylines is about the hopeful bounceback of infielder Jorge Polanco.

Polanco, who was acquired in a trade last offseason with the Minnesota Twins, put together a tough first season in Seattle, hitting just .213 with 16 homers and 45 RBI. He battled lower-body issues and never seemed to move well around the diamond.

The Mariners declined his team option for $12 million but ended up bringing him back on a new deal at one year and $7.5 million. Polanco had knee surgery in the offseason to address his leg issues and will now be moving to third base.

There was some doubt earlier this offseason as to whether or not he'd be healthy enough to start spring training as he recovered, but according to a video from Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times on Wednesday, he looks like he's over the surgery.

Jorge Polanco taking swings off the machine 1/2 pic.twitter.com/D98efUX5j7

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) February 19, 2025

We'll get a fuller idea of how he's doing once we see him play defense. Part of the idea of putting him at third is to limit his range of motion in order to keep him healthy.

If the Mariners are going to overcome the 85-77 season from a year ago, they'll need a solid year from Polanco, who hit 33 homers back in 2021 for Minnesota. He figures to pair with Julio Rodriguez, Luke Raley, Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena as power options for the lineup.

The Mariners open up Cactus League play on Friday with a contest against the San Diego Padres. Mariners on SI will have live coverage of that game, as we'll be in Peoria for the next week.

Related Stories on Seattle Mariners

NEW PODCAST IS OUT! We're back for another episode! In this episode, we focus on Cal Raleigh's relationship with Dan Wilson, our looming trip to spring training, the Mariners' top hitting prospects and their growth together and much more, including a quick follow-up visit from Jeff Idelson, the former President of the Baseball Hall of Fame. CLICK HERE:

TALKING TRADE: After an offseason of trade rumors, starting pitcher Luis Castillo held court at spring training, addressing his situation with the organization. CLICK HERE:

TROUT CHANGING IT UP: Longtime Seattle Mariners killer Mike Trout is set to change positions in 2025 for the division-rival Angels. CLICK HERE:

Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.