CLEVELAND, Ohio — Infielder Juan Brito, the Guardians’ No. 10 prospect, will be sidelined 8-12 weeks after undergoing surgery Friday to repair ligament damage to his right thumb.
Brito, playing at Triple-A Columbus, injured his thumb while sliding into third base during a game April 17 against Louisville. Imaging initially showed no signs of a fracture, but according to the Guardians, Brito continued to show symptoms.
Brito consulted with team physicians and hand specialist Dr. Thomas Graham, who ultimately recommended surgery to address a high-grade ligament sprain.
The surgery was performed Friday morning by Dr. Graham at Lehigh Valley Orthopedic Institute.
According to the club, the timeframe for return to unrestricted game activities in similar cases is 8 to 12 weeks. Brito will head to the club’s training complex in Goodyear, Ariz. in the next few days to begin a rehab program.
Brito was off to a good start for Columbus, hitting .291 with a pair of home runs, 10 RBI and a .897 OPS in 55 at-bats. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Brito has the ability to hit in the middle of the order, or at the bottom as a switch-hitter.
“We had him starting to play a little right field just to get some defensive versatility and try and get the bat in the order,” Vogt said. “But the little bit I’ve seen of Juan, you see potential of a power hitter that can also hit for average and play pretty good defense. A lot of talent there.”
Brito, 23, is rated Cleveland’s No. 10 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline. He was acquired in November 2022 from Colorado in a trade that sent Nolan Jones to the Rockies. Jones was traded back to Cleveland prior to this season in exchange for infielder Tyler Freeman.
Following a breakout season at Triple-A in 2024 that saw him hit .256 with 21 home runs, 40 doubles and 84 RBI, Brito was in the competition for the Guardians’ starting second base job that ultimately went to Gabriel Arias.
