GEORGE VALERA NEWS

Will undergo surgery on right knee Valera was diagnosed with a patellar tendon rupture in his right knee Monday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Impact Valera was placed on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list Friday due to what was initially listed as a right knee strain, but further tests have revealed a much more serious injury. He will undergo surgery Wednesday, and the expected recovery window is 6-to-9 months. The 23-year-old will finish his season in Triple-A with a slash line of .248/.337/.452 with six stolen bases, 17 home runs and 50 RBI across 374 plate appearances.

SEPTEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE

Goes on IL Valera was placed on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list Friday due to a right knee strain.

Impact Valera has been mostly able to avoid injuries this year after losing significant time in 2023 to various ailments. He's struggled a bit with a .248/.337/.452 slash line and a 27.0 strikeout rate over 90 games while playing the whole year at Triple-A. He'll miss at least a week, but if the knee issue is even a moderate concern, he could be shut down for the year.

SEPTEMBER 13 • ROTOWIRE

Sent down to Triple-A Valera (hamstring) was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Friday.

Impact Valera didn't wind up playing in any Cactus League games after tweaking his hamstring early on in camp and it's not clear when he might be game-ready. The 23-year-old was limited by hamstring and wrist problems in the minors last season, slashing .211/.343/.375 with 10 homers in 73 games with Columbus.

MARCH 8 • ROTOWIRE

REPORTS: Top-10 Guardians Prospect Out For Multiple Weeks George Valera, Cleveland’s seventh-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, sustained a strained left hamstring during spring training...

FEBRUARY 24 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Is George Valera Answer For Guardians' Outfield Woes? Cleveland Guardians prospect George Valera has a lot of potential but also has some weaknesses to overcome.

OCTOBER 25, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Finishing up suspension Valera will serve the final game of a six-game suspension Tuesday for Triple-A Columbus, Guardians Prospective reports.

Impact Valera got into a dispute with an opposing catcher during an at-bat in a July 6 game at Nashville, which turned ugly with Valera eventually trying to throw punches while being restrained. It's been a year to forget thus far for the 22-year-old outfielder, as he has dealt with wrist and hamstring injuries while slashing .187/.319/.227 in 21 games for the Clippers.

JULY 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Guardians Prospect George Valera Ejected After Benches Clearing Incident Cleveland Guardians second ranked prospect George Valera ejected after altercation with Nashville Sounds catcher.

JULY 7, 2023 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Active at Triple-A Valera, who has had an injury-plagued season, is active for Triple-A Columbus and hitting .136 with one extra-base hit, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts through 13 games.

Impact He has been on the injured list twice, first opening the season on the IL with a wrist injury and then suffering a hamstring injury in mid-May. Valera was activated from his most recent stint on the IL on June 17 after rehabbing in the Arizona Complex League. He doesn't turn 23 until November, so Valera still has youth on his side, but he has a career .202/.316/.384 slash line with nine home runs in 55 games at Triple-A.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Injured Guardians prospect could finish rehab assignment by end of the week George Valera, the club's No. 3 prospect, is in Arizona working on a hamstring injury.

JUNE 11, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM

Rehabbing in Arizona Valera (hamstring) went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and two RBI in Tuesday's Arizona Complex League game versus the Rockies' rookie-ball affiliate.

Impact Valera has progressed to rehab games in Arizona just a couple weeks after landing on the injured list for the second time this season. The outfield prospect may need a few more games in the ACL before rejoining the Triple-A Columbus lineup, where he'll look to stay healthy for an extended time.

JUNE 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Guardians will start Hunter Gaddis on Monday night; George Valera on injured list Hunter Gaddis will be recalled to start against the White Sox for injured Peyton Battenfield.

MAY 21, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM

Lands on IL again Valera (hamstring) was placed on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list Sunday.

Impact Valera missed six weeks to start the season while recovering from wrist surgery. He was healthy for a little more than a week before sustaining a new injury, though he hit just .188 with a stolen base and two RBI over five contests in that span. The outfield prospect struggled a bit in his first taste of Triple-A last year, and injury issues have slowed him down in 2023. He's still just 22 years old, so there's little reason for long-term panic.

MAY 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Activated off minor-league IL Valera (wrist) was activated off the injured list Thursday at Triple-A Columbus, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.

Impact Valera missed the first six weeks of the Triple-A season due to lingering issues with his surgically-repaired right hand/wrist, but he's in the clear now to continue his ascent through the Guardians' system. The 22-year-old outfielder posted an .816 OPS with 24 home runs in 132 games last summer between Double-A and Triple-A. If his health cooperates, he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2023.

MAY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Goes on minor-league IL Triple-A Columbus placed Valera (wrist) on its 7-day injured list April 2.

Impact Valera underwent surgery on his right hand over the offseason and received a clean bill of health heading into spring training, but he aggravated the wrist in a Feb. 28 Cactus League game and remained sidelined for the rest of the Guardians' spring schedule. He's gradually increased his activities in the six weeks since, but it's not yet clear when he'll be ready to make his 2023 debut for Columbus. The outfielder will presumably join one of the Guardians' lower-level affiliates for a rehab assignment for a few games before rejoining Columbus.

APRIL 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Guardians send down George Valera, Logan Allen, Peyton Battenfield, Joey Cantillo Cleveland still has 52 players left in big league camp. Opening day is March 30.

MARCH 12, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM

Sent down to Triple-A camp Valera (wrist) was optioned Sunday to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Impact Valera has been bothered by a wrist injury, but he wasn't a real candidate to make the Opening Day roster regardless of health. The 22-year-old is widely considered one of the better hitting prospects in the Cleveland system, however, so there's a very good chance that he will make his MLB debut before the close of the 2023 season.

MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Outfielder George Valera still isn't ready to play: Guardians takeaways Guardians opening day starter Shane Bieber does well in B game performance against San Diego.

MARCH 10, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM

Cleveland Guardians Injury Update: George Valera And Sam Hentges There’s good news on the injury front for George Valera and Sam Hentges

MARCH 10, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Doing bat-handling exercises Valera (wrist) is doing light bat-handling exercises, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Impact Valera had hamate bone surgery on his right wrist over the offseason and then had to be removed from a game last month with discomfort in the same wrist. There's no timetable for his return.

MARCH 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Terry Francona Provides Update On George Valera's Wrist Injury Cleveland Guardians prospect George Valera won’t be rushed back after he injured his right wrist.

MARCH 2, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Terry Francona Provides Update On George Valera's Wrist Injury Cleveland Guardians prospect George Valera won’t be rushed back after he injured his right wrist.

MARCH 2, 2023 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Guardians prospect George Valera in holding pattern regarding injured wrist Team trainers want to let George Valera's right wrist calm down before determining if an MRI is needed.

MARCH 1, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM

Could require MRI Guardians manager Terry Francona said Wednesday that Valera (wrist) could undergo imaging in the coming days, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

Impact As Francona notes, Valera's injured right wrist is on the same hand that required surgery for a broken hamate bone earlier in the offseason. Valera left Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Royals after fouling a baseball off the wrist area, and it's possible the discomfort he was experiencing was related to the surgery. Cleveland will keep a close eye on the outfield prospect over the next few days before deciding his next steps. If healthy, Valera has a chance to receive playing time in the Guardians outfield at some point in 2023.

MARCH 1, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

George Valera exits Guardians spring training game with hand injury George Valera left Cleveland's game against the Royals with an apparent hand injury in the second inning.

FEBRUARY 28, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM

Exits with wrist discomfort Valera had to leave Tuesday's game against the Royals with right wrist discomfort, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.

Impact Valera fouled a ball off during a second-inning plate appearance before dropping the bat and immediately grabbing his wrist area in pain. The outfield prospect had surgery on the same hand over the offseason for a broken hamate bone, so this isn't a good sign. It's not clear at this point how long this might set Valera back.

FEBRUARY 28, 2023 • ROTOWIRE