Guardians outfield prospect George Valera will undergo season-ending surgery, as reported by Mandy Bell of MLB.com. The 23-year-old ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee while attempting a catch at the wall in Triple-A. The surgery comes with a recovery period of six to nine months, making it likely that Valera will begin next season on the injured list.
Valera’s career has been hampered by injuries, which have affected his overall value. He was ranked on Baseball America’s top 100 prospect lists in 2022 and 2023. However, his injury history includes hamate surgery in the 2022-23 offseason and multiple stints on the injured list due to hamstring issues over the past few years. After recovering in May, Valera spent most of the season with Triple-A Columbus.
Valera’s performance has been solid in Double-A, but his Triple-A numbers are more average. He holds a career .229/.336/.424 line in 205 Triple-A games, including a .248/.337/.452 slash with 17 home runs in 374 plate appearances this season. While he shows strong plate discipline with a 12% walk rate, his 27% strikeout rate is concerning. Formerly a center fielder, Valera has primarily played corner outfield or designated hitter this year.
The Guardians have kept Valera on the 40-man roster since the 2021-22 offseason. Players typically have three seasons to be optioned to the minors, but Valera could be eligible for a rare fourth option due to his lack of five full minor league or MLB seasons. This would give Cleveland more flexibility, but if he is out of options heading into next season, the team would need to keep him in the majors or risk losing him to other teams once he recovers.
