Twins shortstop prospect Wander Javier will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the 2018 season, according to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. The 19-year-old had received a top-100 nod from Baseball America entering the year.
Javier is scheduled for a procedure to repair a tear to his left labrum, per the report. With six-to-nine month anticipated rehab timeline, it seems reasonable to anticipate that he could be ready to participate in Spring Training next year.
Obviously, it’s disappointing news for the Minnesota organization, though the news does not figure to impact the team’s near-term plans. Javier, a big-bonus international signee back in 2015, has yet to play above the Rookie ball level.
The major impact, then, is on Javier’s development timeline. He impressed in 180 Appalachian League plate appearances last year, slashing .299/.383/.471 with four home runs and four steals. While there are some things to iron out — 49 strikeouts last year, for example — the future is bright for the young Dominican. He had yet to play this year while trying to work through the shoulder issue without going under the knife.
Ultimately, the Twins will still remain plenty confident in the middle-infield depth in their system. Top prospect Royce Lewis and the more advanced Nick Gordon are plenty exciting in their own right, and Javier has plenty of time still to tap into his lofty upside.
Wander how the hell that happened
I’m sure Javier is wandering too
Looks like he will Javier to forget.