The Cleveland Guardians have high hopes for Chase DeLauter.
He’s working his way back to full strength, and he’s already shown what he’s capable of when he’s on the field.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened very often.
That’s why MLB analyst Sam Dykstra dropped him from 30 to 52 on his updated top 100 prospects list, as he has some serious concerns about his durability:
“DeLauter hadn’t played more than 57 games in either of his first two full seasons due to various left foot injuries, making his health paramount for development in 2025. Unfortunately, he underwent core muscle surgery in March, delaying his start to the season. Even if it’s unrelated to his previous woes, the lost time stacks up and affects the belief the outfielder can reach his considerable ceiling,” Dykstra wrote.
DeLauter recently took part in a batting practice session in Arizona.
He showcased his power again by hitting a pair of homers while rehabbing alongside David Fry, Trevor Stephan, and Shane Bieber.
DeLauter got a non-roster invite to the Guardians’ Spring Training camp.
He sustained a core muscle injury during drills, and he had to undergo surgery in March to fix it.
He hasn’t suffered any setbacks in his recovery, but given his history of injuries, it’s easy to understand the skepticism.
DeLauter broke his left foot in college and had to go under the knife in 2023.
He fractured it again last season while playing at Double-A Akron, and then had another stint on the Injured List because of a toe injury.
Even so, the former first-round pick is just too talented to give up on.
He’s slashed .316/.385/.514 with 63 RBI, 42 walks, and 13 homers in just 97 career games in the minors.
The Guardians will continue to take things slowly with him to make sure he’s back to full strength before calling him up.
Hopefully, he won’t suffer any setbacks, and it won’t be long before we see him in the Big Show.
NEXT: Guardians Get Encouraging Injury Update On Lane Thomas
