Top prospect Gregory Polanco to join Pirates

The struggling Pittsburgh Pirates look to get a shot in the arm this week, as the team plans to call up highly regarded outfield prospect Gregory Blanco, according to Pirates Prospects.

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Polanco will be traveling to Pittsburgh on Thursday, and will be activated and in uniform for the Pirates on Friday. Polanco ranked at #10 (Baseball America), #13 (MLB.com), and #24 (Baseball Prospectus) in pre-season prospect rankings this year.

Because Polanco will be called up Friday, he’ll have a maximum service time of 115 days, which will affect the status of his rookie eligibility.

Here’s what Pirates Prospects had to say about Polanco:

"Polanco has been destroying Triple-A pitching, and the only reason he is down is due to Super Two status. If he is called up on Friday, and remains in the majors the rest of the year, he will end the season with 115 days of service time That cutoff has never been lower than two years and 122 days, which occurred after the 2013 and 2010 seasons"

Polanco is hitting an insane .351, with a .410 on-base percentage, 6 home runs and 47 RBI in Triple-A Indianapolis. He figures to see the starting lineup immediately with Travis Snider struggling.

The Pirates currently have superstar Andrew McCutchen in their outfield, but with Sterling Marte, Jose Tabata, and Travis Snider all either under performing or viewed as expendable, Polanco will likely be in a heavily used role. The team also has Josh Harrison, who has exceeded the team’s expectations, but is also used on the infield as well.