The Cleveland Guardians suffered injury setbacks to two of their top prospects during Monday morning's spring camp.
Right-hander Daniel Espino is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a shoulder strain, while outfielder Chase DeLauter will be out 4-5 months after having surgery to repair a fracture in his foot.
Espino, 22, sustained lingering shoulder soreness and swelling after a throwing session in January, according to the Guardians organization. A diagnosis revealed a strain of his subscapularis and a tear of the anterior capsule of his shoulder. Espino, who has thrown just 133 innings since being drafted 24th overall in 2019, will be evaluated again in Spring Training at the 6-week post-injury mark.
DeLauter, 21, who was the No. 16 pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, was ramping up to full activity following a left foot injury last summer. However, after suffering a small fracture at the base of his left fifth toe, DeLauter was recommended surgery to replace his left foot screw with a bone graft in the area of the fracture.
