Cleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter probably would have made it all the way to MLB this year if it wasn’t for a series of lower-body injuries that robbed him of significant playing time.
In early May, he was diagnosed with a fracture on the fifth metatarsal bone of his left foot.
Then, just a handful of days after returning from that injury in late May, he sprained his toe, spending about two months on the shelf.
In August, he would then suffer a strained right hamstring.
DeLauter has succeeded at every stop and ended the regular season on Triple-A’s roster, so yes, it’s easy to imagine he would have been a factor in the Guardians postseason campaign had he not lost so much development time.
Right now, he is showing the world not only that he is talented: that we already knew.
However, he is showcasing his clean bill of health and is doing it in grand style.
“More notable (from the box score) to me tonight than Chase DeLauter’s two hard hits are his two steals. The health of his legs are the most important thing and taking (and succeeding) two chances on the bases you would like to believe are a good barometer of that right now,” Guardians reporter @Justin_L wrote on his X account.
More notable (from the box score) to me tonight than Chase DeLauter's two hard hits are his two steals. The health of his legs are the most important thing and taking (and succeeding) two chances on the bases you would like to believe are a good barometer of that right now.
— Justin L. (@JL_Baseball) November 3, 2024
If you are wondering, DeLauter stole two bases on Saturday and added three walks, a 105-mph hit, and a run scored for the Surprise Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League.
He is now hitting .345 in the circuit.
He also boasts a 1.065 OPS.
At long last, he appears to be over the lower-body injuries that ruined his 2024.
If he remains that way, it’s easy to see him up in Cleveland at some point before June 2025.
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