FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Twins might not need to wait too long for their much-anticipated first look at Miguel Sanó in action after the third baseman's busy offseason of conditioning.

Sano is scheduled to undergo an evaluation on the laceration in his right heel area on Wednesday, and the 25-year-old could begin his progression back to the playing field following the procedure if he gets clearance from medical staff.

"His wound has actually healed pretty nicely, and we’re pretty happy with where we’re sitting with him," manager Rocco Baldelli said.

Sano has worn a boot on his right foot to protect the wound since last Tuesday, meaning that he's in line with his original recovery timeline of 7-10 days. The injury was sustained in January during the parade for Sano's Dominican Winter League championship with his team, Estrellas Orientales, when a teammate slipped into him and Sano scraped his leg on metal stairs.

In Sano's absence, the Twins have divided third-base starts in Spring Training games between Ehire Adrianza, Adam Rosales, Willians Astudillo and prospect Randy César.

Pineda's first Twins appearance scheduled for Friday

Right-hander Michael Pineda, who is expected to be in Minnesota's Opening Day starting rotation, is slated to make his Twins debut on Friday to start the game against the Red Sox at Hammond Stadium.

It will be Pineda's first game action this spring, but he has already faced hitters in live batting practice several times since the start of Spring Training.

"He is coming back from an injury, which is a little different from any other season that he’s probably prepared for, but he’s in a good spot," Baldelli said. "He’s prepared himself exceptionally well, [and] he’s done everything he possibly can to put himself in a position to be ready to go."

Pineda hasn't appeared for the Twins since he signed a two-year, $10 million contract prior to the 2018 season after he underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2017. He was expecting to pitch in the Major Leagues toward the end of last season, but he endured a setback during his rehab assignment, when he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his right knee.

The Twins currently plan for starting catcher Jason Castro to catch Pineda in Friday's game. Castro, too, is working his way back from a meniscus injury that sidelined him for the majority of last season, and Baldelli hopes to get him a chance to familiarize himself again with the Major League starting pitchers throughout Spring Training.

Twins tidbits

• The Twins expect that versatile free-agent acquisition Marwin Gonzalez will get at-bats by the start of March after he gets a chance to acclimate to pitching with live batting practice sessions in the coming days.

"We're going to match him up with some of our Minor League arms and let him get a chance to get into the swing of things and get his timing down a little," Baldelli said.

• Outfielder Michael Reed, who was claimed off waivers from the Braves during the offseason, has been sidelined with a sore back, and Baldelli didn't offer a timeline for his return to action. Reed is on the 40-man roster and could compete with Jake Cave to provide outfield depth behind the starters and Gonzalez, but Reed's situation is complicated by the fact that he's out of Minor League options.

"He's obviously not in game action or game-ready form yet, but he hasn't had any setbacks," Baldelli said. "He's still working his way back right now. I think he's eager to get out there, but we're going to stick with the progression."

Up next

Byron Buxton, who is 5-for-5 with two homers and 10 RBIs this spring, is expected to return to the lineup when the Twins travel to Spectrum Field in Clearwater for a 12:05 p.m. CT matchup against the Phillies on Wednesday. Left-hander Stephen Gonsalves will make the start for the Twins, with Chase De Jong, Kohl Stewart, Adalberto Mejía and Lewis Thorpe expected to pitch behind him.