Guardians Announce Encouraging Injury Update On Top Prospect

The Cleveland Guardians have been in dire need of some positive news with how the big league team has played over the last month.

There's still a lot that needs to go well to turn this season completely around, but the organization did provide a little bit of hope with an encouraging injury update on their No. 1 overall prospect.

The team announced on Friday that Travis Bazzana is set to begin a rehab assignment at the Arizona Complex League. He's scheduled to play 5.0 innings on July 5 and will progress from there.

Cleveland Guardians top prospect Travis Bazzana warms up before the start of Akron RubberDucks home opener against Altoona Curve. Tuesday, April 08, 2025. | Julie Vennitti Botos / Canton Repository / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bazzana initially left May 14's Double-A game and was later diagnosed with an oblique strain.

Chris Antonetti stated on June 29 that Bazzana was just beginning to resume baseball activities, including throwing, running, and swinging.

Bazzana's initial timetable to return was eight to ten weeks. Assuming he remains on track, that would give him an estimated return at the end of July or the beginning of August.

Before the injury, Bazzana was slashing .252/.362/.433 with an OPS of .795 in 127 at-bats with the Akron RubberDucks.

We're going bananas for Bazzana! 🍌@CleGuardians prospect Travis Bazzana leaves the yard for the @AkronRubberDuck. pic.twitter.com/0Lzwy5iKTQ
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 5, 2025

Hopefully, once Bazzana puts this injury behind him, he can get back to showing why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

The 22-year-old hasn't lit up the world since starting his professional career, but Bazzana still has the potential and skillset to be one of the best pure hitters in a big league lineup once he makes his MLB debut.

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