How to respond to another bummer of a setback
Chase DeLauter sustained yet another injury and will be out for a good while. What should the Guardians do?
The news came out today that DeLauter has suffered a sports hernia in his hip and will return to baseball activity in 8-12 weeks if all goes well. Which… hey, hard to expect that it will:
Guardians prospect Chase DeLauter had surgery to repair a sports hernia. He’s expected to miss 8-12 weeks. Injuries have limited DeLauter to 96 games since Cleveland selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft.
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) March 4, 2025
Chase DeLauter (the Guardians’ No. 2 prospect/No. 36 overall) underwent core muscle surgery this morning, Cleveland announced. A return-to-play timeline in similar cases is 8-12 weeks.
— Tim Stebbins (@timstebbins.bsky.social) 2025-03-04T18:55:03.977Z
1. Let Jhonk bonk baseballs.
We all know Jhonkensy Noel’s flaw – he chases too much, especially breaking balls. He also hit three balls over 111 mph yesterday. It’s time to give Big Christmas a chance to show he can adjust and get to his unparalleled power enough to make him a middle of the order presence in right field. If you’re facing the elite of the elite in terms of right-handed starters, give Will Brennan a chance to come through. Otherwise, plug Jhonk in for a while and let him cook.
2. Be aggressive with George Valera if he can get healthy.
Chase DeLauter is out with an injury. Good news – he’s not our only chronically injured outfielder! Early Spring rumors were than Valera would begin playing in games in March. IF that takes place and he can be healthy, the Guardians should be aggressive in getting him on the major league roster and platooning him with Jhonkensy Noel.
3. Play Juan Brito and CJ Kayfus in right field in Columbus until the time is right.
If the plan is to give Gabriel Arias and Tyler Freeman the first shot at second base, I would like to see the team give Juan Brito regular reps in right field. He is one of the best hitters in the minor league system and I remain convinced his best defensive home is likely in right field. Meanwhile, Kayfus has a 193 wRC+ in Spring Training and should be given a chance to grow on his 2024 at Columbus and given a chance to see if it is at all possible for his arm to play in right field. Maybe it’s not. Very possible. But, if there’s any shot, go for it.
4. Trade for Jesus Sanchez.
The Marlins seem to have no fear of a lawsuit by the player’s association for not paying their roster enough money, so it’s time to revisit and see if Sanchez who is projected for a 111 wRC+ can be had for a decent prospect package, something the Marlins seem dedicated to collecting. Rather than hoping Will Brennan stops swinging at everything and making contact on the ground every time or that Valera gets healthy, you would provide yourself a sure value in right field against RHP and give yourself a chance of finding extra value if you get Sanchez away from the Marlins.
5. Hope for the best from Noel, Brennan and Rodriguez until July.
I suspect this is what the team will do. We will see Brennan and Noel as the main right fielders. Maybe Rodriguez earns the 13th spot on the roster, but he’ll be available if Noel gets hurt or struggles for sure. They’ll keep their eye on the trade market for another Lane Thomas deal, leveraging a good minor league system to fill this hole. Fans just have to hope the team can make right field and the cleanup spot work for them until the cavalry comes.