Watson underwent sports hernia surgery Tuesday and will be sidelined 8-to-12 weeks.
It's not clear how long Watson had been dealing with a sports hernia, but the decision to have surgery was made after he visited with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia. Watson should be fully recovered well ahead of spring training. The 23-year-old slashed just .239/.264/.341 with a 3:32 BB:K over his first 27 contests in the majors, but he turned in a .247/.361/.455 batting line with 19 home runs and 24 steals in 98 games with Triple-A Columbus. Watson will compete next year for playing time in the Guardians' outfield.