The Cleveland Guardians are banking on a big season from young outfielder Chase DeLauter, who made his brief debut in the AL Wild Card series last season and is now positioned for a pivotal role in 2026. He has been a top prospect in this organization for years, with injuries being the only thing holding him back from debuting earlier.
Unfortunately, that injury bug has struck him once again as he missed the past few games in Spring Training due to lower body soreness. Normally, it wouldn’t cause much of a stir, but given his laundry list of injuries throughout his time in the minors, it’s natural for fans to be concerned about him.
However, it may have been a false alarm as he has returned to batting practice and hopes to return to games next week.
“Cleveland #Guardians OF prospect Chase DeLauter (Lower Body Soreness) has returned hitting BP today. He is out of today’s lineup again vs the Cubs but is hopeful to return to games next week,” Guardians Prospective said.
Cleveland #Guardians OF prospect Chase DeLauter (Lower Body Soreness) has returned hitting BP today.
He is out of today's lineup again vs the Cubs but is hopeful to return to games next week.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) February 27, 2026
Cleveland navigated this offseason under the impression that DeLauter and a few other exciting young prospects will be the big additions that this lineup needs after hitting a grotesque .225 last year. The Guardians are among the bottom three teams in the league in terms of spending in free agency this offseason, so they are all in on DeLauter, CJ Kayfus, and George Valera to help lead this turnaround.
It’s unclear exactly where DeLauter will slot in both in the lineup and the outfield, but there is no question that the 25-year-old is a massive part of the equation. Hopefully, this soreness is just from knocking off some rust and isn’t a preview of more injuries to come for him.
Most importantly, Stephen Vogt has a plan and DeLauter is absolutely part of it. Fans should be ecstatic about the idea of him being in the picture because he has the ability to make fans forget about the lack of a big free agent acquisition really quickly.
NEXT: 3 Guardians Players Entering A Make-Or-Break Season
