Cleveland Guardians Receive Brutal Injury News On Top Prospect

A top prospect for the Cleveland Guardians has received some horrible injury news.

Jun 28, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Clippers right fielder George Valera (13) catches a ball during the MiLB baseball game against the Toledo Mud Hens at Huntington Park. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Guardians have received some horrendous injury news on top outfield prospect George Valera.

Mandy Bell of MLB.com has reported that Valera has suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee and will have to undergo surgery on Wednesday. His estimated recovery timetable is six-to-nine months.

The injury occurred last week when Valera collided with a wall while attempting to make a catch. He was initially diagnosed with a knee strain and was placed on the 7-day injured list, but unfortunately, the injury was ultimately much more severe than initially hoped.

Valera slashed .248/.337/.452 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI over 374 plate appearances at Triple-A Columbus this season.

This is far from the first time that the 23-year-old has experienced injury issues, which absolutely places his MLB future in question.

Valera was once a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, but he fell out of those rankings heading into the 2024 season.

His fall was the direct result of a very disappointing 2023 campaign, in which he slashed a meager .220/.349/.397 with 11 homers and 38 RBI across 338 trips to the dish in the minor leagues.

Valera was born in Queens, N.Y., but moved to the Dominican Republic as a teenager. He was then signed by the Guardians as an international free agent in 2017.

Early on, Valera was raking at the plate, slashing .260/.405/.505 with 19 long balls and 65 RBI in 2021. He was impressive again in 2022, registering an .816 OPS.

However, the last couple of years have been disastrous for Valera, who has been sliding down the list of Cleveland's top prospects.