SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco is playing with a small break in his left elbow but is postponing surgery until after the season because Philadelphia is in a pennant race.
Polanco is batting .308 with six homers and 47 RBIs for the surging Phillies, who lead the NL East by a game over the Atlanta Braves.
"I have a broken elbow, but it is rather small and will be operated on at the end of the year," Polanco told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It is something minor, less than half an hour [the surgery], and rehabilitation will take only a month. I have not been operated on before because I would have lost the season if I did it."
The 34-year-old Polanco spent time on the disabled list earlier this season with elbow inflammation.
"Sometimes I don't have the same power to swing and as I have been compensating for the elbow I have caused a bit of tendinitis in my forearm," he said.