Sidelined again, future of former first round pick of Guardians in doubt

What could have been a once-promising, impactful career in the outfield of the Cleveland Guardians has hit another speedbump. Outfielder Chase DeLauter is injured again and will be forced to miss an extended period of time.

The Guardians announced that DeLauter underwent sports hernia surgery Tuesday in Philadelphia and is expected to miss 8-12 weeks. DeLauter is set to return to Goodyear, Arizona, following the procedure as he rehabs.

Normally, an injury at this time is something minor and nothing to really worry about, but when it comes to DeLauter, that is not the case. DeLauter has missed a substantial amount of time in his brief minor league career due to injuries, appearing in just 96 games since being the 16th overall selection in the 2022 MLB June Amateur Draft.

When DeLauter has been able to play, he has been impressive. DeLauter has a .317/.387/.517 slash line with 32 doubles and 13 home runs while driving in 63 runs and scoring 60. So clearly, it is not an issue of performance it is a lack of availability, and yet again, he is unavailable.

Cleveland's outfield composition could have looked very different this season if DeLauter had been able to stay healthy. It was during last year's spring training activities that the Guardians were pretty much forced to have a conversation that they did not expect to have, informing DeLauter he would not make the Opening Day roster. DeLauter was never really in the mix for it, but with his performance and a clear opening on the big league roster, this became a conversation that had to happen.

From the Guardians' perspective, this has now become a situation where they must prioritize other outfield options and consider anything they get from DeLauter a bonus. The volume of injuries that DeLauter has sustained in such a short period of time is extremely concerning, as injury-prone players do not become less injury-prone. Perhaps DeLauter will be able to contribute in some manner in the future, but it may best not to count on that happening.