GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter, who is widely considered one of the organization's top prospects, had surgery Tuesday to repair a sports hernia and is expected to miss the first couple of months of the season.
The former first-round pick hurt his bilateral core muscle during a pregame workout Feb. 28. DeLauter was examined Monday by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, and he confirmed the sports hernia and recommended surgery to repair it.
The Guardians said that DeLauter, who was likely to start at Triple-A Columbus this season, will return to Arizona this week to begin his rehab. The return-to-play timeframe for similar cases is 8 to 12 weeks.
DeLauter hit .261 with eight homers and 24 RBIs across three minor league levels last season. That included Columbus, where the former James Madison standout hit .304 with two homers and seven RBIs in 23 at-bats.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
The Associated Press
