Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Starting in center field in Game 2
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DeLauter is starting in center field and batting seventh Wednesday in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Tigers.
DeLauter will not only be making his major-league debut, he will be appearing in his first game at any level since July 11, as the outfielder finished the regular season on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Columbus while recovering from right wrist surgery. With the lack of production they've received in center field, the Guardians are willing to roll the dice on the talented DeLauter.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Included on wild-card roster
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The Guardians selected DeLauter's contract from Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
DeLauter has not played since undergoing right wrist surgery in July, having finished the season on the 7-day injured list at Columbus. He's healthy now, however, and the Guardians have elected to include the talented-but-injury-prone outfielder on their wild-card roster. DeLauter slashed .278/.383/.476 with five home runs in 149 plate appearances for Columbus this season and will be making his major-league debut when/if he gets into a game. The left-handed-hitting DeLauter is not in the lineup for Game 1 against southpaw Tarik Skubal, and it's unclear whether Cleveland will give him some playing time against righties.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Joins taxi squad ahead of playoffs
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DeLauter (wrist) was spotted working out with the Guardians on Monday and could be added to the roster ahead of the team's wild-card series with the Tigers that begins Tuesday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Though DeLauter hasn't played in a game since July 11 and finished the season on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list, he's seemingly healthy again after completing his recovery from right wrist surgery. The Guardians had already planned for DeLauter to head to the Arizona Fall League in October to pick up some at-bats, but before that, he looks like he could be in consideration to make his MLB debut at some point during Cleveland's upcoming playoff run. Prior to being shelved with the hand injury and getting surgery, DeLauter was in the midst of a productive season with Columbus, slashing .278/.383/.476 with five home runs in 149 plate appearances. The Guardians have lately been using either George Valera or C.J. Kayfus in right field against right-handed pitching, but DeLauter may be viewed as a potential upgrade over either player at that spot in the lineup.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Takes live BP
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DeLauter (wrist) recently advanced to taking live batting practice at the Guardians' spring facility in Arizona, SI.com reports.
DeLauter underwent surgery July 23 to address a hamate fracture in his right wrist and appears to have progressed as anticipated in his recovery from the procedure. Facing live pitching likely represents one of the final checkpoints DeLauter will need to hit in his recovery before he gets cleared to play in games at the Guardians' spring complex or at a lower-level affiliate. He appears on track to return from Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list at some point in September.
DeLauter (wrist) is executing baseball activities following his July 23 surgery, MLB.com reports.
DeLauter underwent surgery to repair a fracture of his right hamate bone, which typically involves six-to-eight weeks of recovery post-surgery. There's a chance the 2022 first-round draft pick could return in time for games in early September.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Undergoes wrist surgery
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The Guardians announced that DeLauter underwent surgery Wednesday to address a hamate fracture in his right hand/wrist. The outfielder is expected to be out for 6-to-8 weeks before returning to game action.
The wrist surgery is yet another setback on the health front for the talented 23-year-old outfielder, who required sports hernia surgery during the spring and previously missed significant time in his first three seasons of professional ball due to injuries to both feet. DeLauter had been productive when available at Triple-A Columbus this season, producing a .278/.383/.476 line with five home runs in 149 plate appearances before he sustained the wrist injury shortly before the All-Star break. Given the timeline provided by the Guardians, DeLauter is likely out of the running to make his MLB debut in 2025, and he could be hard pressed to make it back before the Triple-A regular season comes to an end Sept. 21.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Visiting specialist
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DeLauter (wrist) will visit a hand specialist early this week, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
DeLauter is seeking out an assessment for lingering soreness in his right wrist. The 23-year-old prospect had dealt with the soreness for the final few weeks prior to the All-Star break, but he experienced an uptick in symptoms and hasn't played since July 11.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Workload increasing
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Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said Saturday that DeLauter has built up to playing at least five games per week, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
DeLauter opened the season on the injured list while recovering from core-muscle surgery, which he underwent in March. He made his 2025 debut for Triple-A Columbus in early May, but ongoing soreness caused the organization to manage his workload. The frequent rest days seem to have paid off, as DeLauter is currently riding a 26-game on-base streak, during which he's posted a .309/.426/.543 slash line with 11 extra-base hits, 17 RBI and 21 runs. Meanwhile, the Cleveland offense has gone into a slumber, sitting last in MLB this month in runs per game (2.87) and batting average (.208), so the 23-year-old may get his chance to help the big club sooner rather than later.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Headed to Arizona Complex League
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DeLauter (abdomen) was added to the Guardian's Arizona Complex League roster Monday for a rehab assignment.
DeLauter underwent sports hernia surgery in early March, which carried an 8-to-12 week recovery timeline, and he's now set to get some at-bats in Arizona. The outfielder played in 37 games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus in 2024, batting .304 with two home runs, seven RBI and four runs scored over 23 at-bats over six games with the latter. Once healthy, DeLauter could challenge for a major-league roster spot with Cleveland down the road in 2025.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Engaging in baseball activity
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DeLauter (abdomen) has responded well to rehab and is throwing, hitting and running, MLB.com reports.
DeLauter, the Guardians' first-round draft pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, could progress to live batting practice this week. The organization anticipates a late-May or early-June return window.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Sent to minor-league camp
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The Twins reassigned DeLauter (abdomen) to minor-league camp Saturday.
DeLauter is expected to be out for 8-to-12 weeks after undergoing hernia surgery Tuesday. He logged only 168 plate appearances in the minors during the 2024 season (including 27 in Triple-A), but he has a chance at seeing time on the Guardians' 26-man roster during the 2025 campaign once he's fully recovered from the procedure.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Focusing on mobility
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DeLauter's offseason preparation focused more on mobility than strictly strength, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com reports.
DeLauter's bat and plate discipline gets a lot of attention, deservedly so, but he's dealt with foot injuries each year since being a first-round draft pick in 2022. Hence, the prospect's desire to stay healthy and compete for a potential role on the big-league roster. "As Chase continues to develop, it's about understanding what it takes for that body to be able to play every day," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "He's around some really good people and really good resources to start to understand what his body is telling him." DeLauter had just 168 plate appearances in 2024, including 27 at Triple-A Columbus, suggesting he's not expected to win a job outright in camp. He can play all three outfield spots and could eventually be the answer in right field, which is one of the position battles going on in spring training.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Set to play in Fall League
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The Guardians list DeLauter (hamstring) as one the organization's eight prospects on the Surprise Saguaros' Arizona Fall League roster.
DeLauter finished the 2024 season on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, but the expectation is that he'll be ready to play when Fall League play opens Oct. 7. In addition to the hamstring strain, injuries to both of DeLauter's feet limited him to just 159 plate appearances between Columbus and Double-A Akron in 2024. The assignment to the Fall League will afford DeLauter the opportunity to get some more competitive at-bats in before spring training.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Goes on Triple-A IL
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DeLauter was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Columbus on Friday with a right hamstring strain.
The 22-year-old had posted an 1.147 OPS in six games after being promoted to Columbus, putting himself on the radar for a potential September call-up. While the severity of the strain is unclear, DeLauter would appear to now be a long shot to get a late-season look in the majors. He has loads of talent but just can't stay on the field, having missed ample time the last two seasons with foot and other lower-body problems.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Moving up to Triple-A
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DeLauter will be promoted from Double-A Akron to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
DeLauter returned to action for Akron in late July after missing nearly two months of action with a foot injury. He had homered in each of his last three games and in four of his past seven contests with Akron. DeLauter has slashed .318/.385/.502 in two minor-league seasons but has been plagued by nagging foot problems.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Day-to-day with sprained toe
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DeLauter is day-to-day with Double-A Akron due to a sprained toe on his right foot, MLB.com reports.
DeLauter suffered the injury chasing down a flyball in his first game back from a fractured toe on his left foot. The left foot/leg has been where all of DeLauter's previous injuries occurred, so perhaps he injured his right foot this time while trying to compensate for his oft-injured left foot.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Taken off of IL
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DeLauter (foot) was activated from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.
DeLauter has been out since April 25 with a fractured left foot but will be able to return to the diamond after missing merely a month of action with Double-A Akron. Prior to the injury, DeLauter owned a .591 OPS across 71 plate appearances.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Won't require surgery
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DeLauter (foot) won't require surgery but remains without a timeline to return, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
DeLauter was diagnosed with a broken foot Sunday, though this is at least some positive news. The Guardians' medical staff is still planning the next steps in his recovery, but the team is likely to take things cautiously considering this is the second fracture DeLauter has endured in the same foot in the last 18 months.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Diagnosed with broken foot
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DeLauter was diagnosed Sunday with a fractured fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot and is without a timeline for a return to the Double-A Akron lineup, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
DeLauter was placed on Akron's 7-day injured list Thursday with what had previously been labeled as a left foot sprain, but further testing revealed that the young outfielder fractured the foot. It's a concerning setback for the 22-year-old, who underwent surgery in January 2023 to repair a fracture in the same foot. The Guardians haven't revealed whether DeLauter will require surgery this time around, as he'll visit with a specialist Wednesday before his next steps are determined. Even if DeLauter is able to avoid surgery and treat the injury through rest and rehab, he's still likely several weeks away from returning to action for Akron.
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Guardians' Chase DeLauter: Opening year at Double-A
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DeLauter will open the year with Double-A Akron, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports.
Despite logging a 1.640 OPS in 25 spring at-bats and a .914 OPS in 87 at-bats in the Arizona Fall League, DeLauter will be given a soft assignment to Akron, which is where he finished the 2023 season. Injuries have limited DeLauter to 80 pro games (including the AFL) since getting drafted in 2022, but he could force a quick promotion to Triple-A Columbus if he meets expectations.
