Pirates' Gregory Polanco: Opening Day status uncertain

Polanco (shoulder) was not in the lineup Sunday and GM Neal Huntington said it's too early to make a definitive statement about his Opening Day status, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "We'll see where we are. It's early in the process in terms of how they're feeling and how they bounce back," Huntington said in reference to Polanco and Chris Stewart (groin). "Let's see where we are as we get closer to the middle part of the week as we have to start making some decisions."

Analysis:

Polanco called his scratch from Saturday's lineup precautionary and continues to downplay the severity of the shoulder injury. However, the 25-year-old has battled shoulder issues in the past and it sounds like the team wants to be absolutely sure of his health before penciling Polanco into the Opening Day lineup. He has logged 36 at-bats this spring between the WBC and Grapefruit League play.