Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said Tuesday that Sano is dealing with a torn meniscus in his left knee and will undergo surgery later this week, Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic reports.
Baldelli noted that a timeline for Sano's return won't be established until after surgery is completed, but the 29-year-old is most likely looking at an absence of 4-to-8 weeks, based on players that have had similar procedures. Before landing on the 10-day injured list Sunday, Sano had appeared in only one of the Twins' preceding five games due to the knee issue. Even before the knee injury cropped up, Sano had struggled mightily at the dish with a .093/.231/.148 slash line and 32.3 percent strikeout rate over 65 plate appearances. Whenever Sano returns from the IL, he won't be a lock to recapture a full-time role at first base, where a platoon of Luis Arraez and Jose Miranda is expected to be in place until further notice.