Diamondbacks' Slade Caldwell: Undergoes back surgery
Rotowire
Caldwell underwent back surgery in mid-September, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reported. He will be out four-to-six months.
Caldwell, the Diamondbacks' first-round pick in 2024, has really struggled to hit for power as a professional. In 465 plate appearances at High-A Hillsboro this season, Caldwell hit .213/.361/.304 with six homers and 26 stolen bases, tallying an .091 ISO. While the ongoing back problems may give him an out in terms of his 2026 stats, Caldwell has dropped out of most prospect lists. 2027 will be a crucial year in his development for the Diamondbacks.
Diamondbacks' Slade Caldwell: Heading to Futures Game
Rotowire
Caldwell was added to the All-Star Futures Game roster Monday, Connor Emery of Arizona Sports reports.
Caldwell cruised through Single-A Visalia for the first two months of the season before gaining a promotion to High-A Hillsboro. The 19-year-old is the youngest player in the Northwest League. Caldwell owns a .267/.437/.463 line with 22 RBI and 19 steals combined at the two levels.
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Diamondbacks' Slade Caldwell: Video game numbers for Rawhide
Rotowire
Caldwell is slashing .329/.524/.548 with two home runs, five steals and a 29.2 percent strikeout rate in 23 games for Single-A Visalia.
A speedy, yet muscular 5-foot-9 center fielder, Caldwell is currently sporting a .537 BABIP while walking or striking out a combined 52.8 percent of the time, so there's a lot of noise in his spectacular slash line. Caldwell is also hitting 54.8 percent of balls on the ground and 43.2 percent of balls to the opposite field, so there's some untapped power potential if he can learn to pull more balls in the air.
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