The New York Mets have been without infielder Jorge Polanco for a full month, and while there's finally some positive news on his Achilles injury, a return date remains up in the air.

Polanco hasn't suited up for the Mets since April 14 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, sidelined by both a wrist issue and a nagging Achilles problem. About a month ago, he received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his Achilles to accelerate the healing process, according to a report from The Athletic's Will Sammon.

The good news? The injection has helped. Polanco reports that the injury is improving, but he's not yet pain-free. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns emphasized on Tuesday that Polanco needs to be fully "asymptomatic" before the team can even begin discussing a potential return timeline.

"We want to have more good days than the days I don't feel so good," Polanco told Sammon. "That's when I know I'll be ready to go."

It's been a frustrating start to Polanco's tenure in New York. The 32-year-old signed a two-year, $40 million deal this offseason after a standout campaign with the Seattle Mariners, but he's managed just 14 games in a Mets uniform so far. His numbers have suffered accordingly, with a .179 batting average and only one home run.

"It is tough to deal with, but at the same time, I can't control that," Polanco said. "I wish I could because then I could be on the field every day… but what else can we do but try to stay positive, keep going and come back."

For Mets fans, patience remains the name of the game as they await the return of a key offseason acquisition who has yet to show his full potential in Queens.