Guardians insider reveals update on Lane Thomas injury status

Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas reportedly underwent surgery that officially ends his 2025 campaign.

Jun 20, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas (8) bats during the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are having a run for the ages and hope to continue it Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers. Unfortunately, one key piece from last season is officially unable to contribute for the rest of the 2025 campaign.

Outfielder Lane Thomas reportedly had foot surgery today that will keep him shelved for 3-4 months, per The Athletic's Zack Meisel. Obviously, this means he is out for the rest of the year and for any potential postseason games.

Lane Thomas had foot surgery this morning. He’s out for 3-4 months. That would make him out for the season, in case that wasn’t clear.

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) September 23, 2025

The news is not exactly surprising, but it is unfortunate given Thomas' dramatic contributions in last year's playoffs against the Tigers. As fans may recall, he hit a dramatic grand slam off Tigers ace Tarik Skubal in Game 5 of the ALDS. That gave the Guardians a 5-1 lead and led them right to the ALCS to take on the New York Yankees.

LANE THOMAS. GRAND SLAM. @CLEGUARDIANS ON TOP.#ALDS pic.twitter.com/9bxvHY59T9

— MLB (@MLB) October 12, 2024

That grand slam will forever be a part of Guardians playoff lore. However, Thomas' overall stint with the team will go down as an overall disappointment if he leaves in free agency this offseason.

He joined the team via trade with the Washington Nationals and did not exactly light the world on fire. His .657 OPS led to a negative WAR (-0.2), but his playoff performance helped his overall standing among fans in Cleveland.

2025 was, unfortunately, an injury-filled struggle for Thomas. He officially ends the year with 39 games played and an OPS barely above .500. The veteran could just never consistently get going on offense, likely due to his nagging injury.

Thomas not being a reliable starter is one of many reasons the Guardians could have fell flat in 2025. And for much of the year, it did appear to be a reason. Then came the magical month of September and some fans may have even forgotten that Thomas was a part of the outfield plans this season.

He is set to hit free agency this offseason and his injury timetable may mean he waits until around spring training to sign a deal. Given the young face in the outfield right now, it likely means he plays elsewhere in 2026, barring an incredibly team-friendly deal.

Lane Thomas was never an All-Star in Cleveland, and only played in 92 regular-season games, adding 10 more in the postseason. But his grand slam off Skubal helped lead the team to the 2024 ALCS, and that will never be forgotten.