Miguel Sano Not in the Best Shape of His Life

Minnesota Twins slugger Miguel Sano had surgery on his left shin in November. It was not the low point of his offseason. The recovery made it more difficult than usual to stay in shape, and apparently it shows now that a healthy Sano is in camp.

" Sano has been given medical clearance to engage in all baseball workouts with his teammates, his surgically reinforced left shin now completely healed, though the Twins intend to lighten his schedule to prevent any new injuries. They’d like to lighten something else, too: His “generous carriage,” as General Manager Thad Levine delicately put it last week. Sano’s conditioning understandably lags, after a winter largely spent incapacitated by the surgery. "

Sano is listed at 260 pounds normally. The Minneapolis press corps have not been privy to a weigh-in yet this spring, but Twins manager Paul Molitor did joke that his third baseman has “big hamstrings.”

The weight is arguably the least of several challenges for Sano to overcome if he’s to build on the success of last year, when he made his first All-Star team.

Not everyone on every team can be in the best shape of their life. People forget that. The dark under, uh, belly of Spring Training.