Cleveland Guardians infield prospect Juan Brito has been out of action for a little more than a week.
He has a thumb injury, which is why he was out of the lineup.
It turns out the injury is worse than first thought, and Brito will be on the shelf for a while.
“Cleveland prospect Juan Brito underwent thumb surgery to repair a sprained ligament. He’s expected to miss 8-12 weeks,” Guardians insider Zack Meisel wrote on X.
Cleveland prospect Juan Brito underwent thumb surgery to repair a sprained ligament. He’s expected to miss 8-12 weeks.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) April 25, 2025
It’s crushing news for the Guardians and their infield depth, as Brito will be recovering for the next couple of months.
He had been one of the Guardians’ top options to start at second base in spring training.
He started off slowly in the Cactus League, and despite a late surge, he couldn’t secure the job and was assigned to Triple-A.
He knew it was a matter of time (and keeping up the good work in Columbus, of course) before the Guardians gave him the call.
After all, they already brought up two infielders who started the season in the minors, Angel Martinez and Will Wilson.
Now, however, they won’t have that option for Brito for several weeks.
He still might be able to make his major league debut in the stretch run, but he needs to get healthy and overcome what could be a troublesome injury for a hitter.
Brito was off to a hot start in Triple-A, slashing .291/.406/.491 with two home runs, four stolen bases and a 142 wRC+.
He is just about ready to take the next step in his development, after he regains full health, of course.
NEXT: Guardians Send Zak Kent Back To Triple-A
