Guardians prospect Gabriel Arias to miss several weeks with fractured hand

Guardians prospect Gabriel Arias was dealt a tough blow over the weekend.

Gabriel Arias, one of many exciting young infield prospects in the Guardians organization, suffered a tough setback this weekend as he fractured his right hand and is expected to miss several weeks.

Arias, 22, was off to a slow start at Triple-A Columbus this season, hitting .197/.269/.380 with three home runs, four doubles and 11 RBIs in 71 at-bats. In 436 at-bats in Columbus last season, Arias hit a very solid .284/.348/.454 with 13 home runs, 29 doubles and 55 RBIs while playing some of the best defense in all of baseball.

Arias also made his major-league debut in April, appearing as the extra man in a doubleheader against the White Sox, where he notched his first-career hit.

The fractured hand is a tough blow to one of the most exciting young prospects in the organization. However, Arias is still so young, four years younger than the average age of players in Triple-A. There have been plenty of flashes of brilliance from Arias, both offensively and defensively, and it is still only a matter of time before he will make it up to Cleveland for good.

With this hand injury, it might delay that inevitable trip back up to the big leagues, but Arias still has so much potential and should finally play an integral role on the Guardians come 2023.