MINNEAPOLIS — Guardians top draft pick Travis Bazzana will miss about two months with an internal oblique strain, the team announced Tuesday.
Bazzana, 22, suffered the injury May 14 during a game against the Chesapeake Baysox in Bowie, Maryland. He underwent an MRI this week and was diagnosed with the strain by Cleveland’s physician group.
Bazzana will begin his rehab program at the club’s Goodyear, Arizona, training facility in the days to come. Similar injuries typically carry an 8-10 week timetable for returning to play.
Bazzana, the only overall No. 1 pick in Cleveland franchise history, is hitting .252 (32 for 127) with four home runs, 17 RBI and a .795 OPS for the RubberDucks.
The Australia native has eight steals and has scored nine runs in his 33 games. Bazzana has added five doubles and three triples for Akron, but has not appeared in a game since last Wednesday.
Cleveland won the 2024 draft lottery and selected Bazzana with the top pick out of Oregon State. He signed for a franchise record $8.95 million, almost $2 million below the slot value of the pick.
Bazzana’s injury continues an alarming injury trend for Cleveland’s top position prospects as rated by MLB Pipeline. Outfielders Chase DeLauter and Jaison Chourio are also sidelined at the moment.
DeLauter returned to action in the Arizona Complex League after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia in March. Chourio was placed on the injured list at Class A Lake County with a right shoulder injury last week
Another top 10 prospect, infielder Juan Brito, had surgery on his right thumb in late April and will be sidelined for eight to 12 weeks.