Placido Polanco has fracture in elbow, will play through

It’s the second week of September -- crunch time in Major League Baseball. And Phillies second baseman Placido Polanco knows it.

The 34-year-old has been diagnosed with a small fracture in his left elbow and will require offseason surgery, but told the Associated Press Thursday that he plans to finish out the year as an active member of the Phils’ everyday lineup.

“I have a broken elbow, but it is rather small and will be operated on at the end of the year,” Polanco told The AP 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.”

Polanco acknowledged that the injury will affect his ability to hit for power down the stretch. But the Phillies don’t exactly have a better option at third base and 80% of Placido is better than 100% of a would-be replacement.

The Phillies have have a one-game lead over the Braves in the National League East.

UPDATE: MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki says this is old news. Polanco, apparently, has been telling reporters that he has a bone spur in his elbow since June.