GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter, widely considered one of the organization's top prospects, had surgery Tuesday to repair a sports hernia and is expected to miss the first couple of months of the season.
The 2022 first-round draft pick hurt his bilateral core muscle during a pregame workout Feb. 28. DeLauter was examined Monday by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, and he confirmed the sports hernia and recommended surgery.
The Guardians said DeLauter, who was likely to start the season at Triple-A Columbus, will return to Arizona this week to begin his rehab. The return-to-play timeframe for similar cases is typically eight to 12 weeks.
DeLauter hit .261 with eight homers and 24 RBIs across three minor league levels last season. That included Columbus, where the former James Madison standout batted .304 with two homers and seven RBIs in 23 at-bats.
In other news, outfielder Will Brennan was taken out of Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning for precautionary reasons. The Guardians said Brennan was experiencing mild low back tightness.
