Kansas City Royals Rising Prospect To Miss 3-4 Months

The timing couldn't be worse. After a breakthrough season in the minors that saw him steal 40 bases across two levels, a discolated shoulder will now sideline Kansas City Royals' 22-year-old outfield prospect Diego Hernandez for quite a while.

#Royals prospect Diego Hernandez has a dislocated right shoulder (which isn’t his throwing arm) after his diving catch yesterday. He’ll be out 3-4 months.

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) February 26, 2023

As reported by Royals beat writer Anne Rogers, Hernandez dislocated his non-throwing shoulder on a diving catch during a spring training game on Saturday. He will be out for 3-to-4 months.

The Royals think highly enough of Hernandez to have added him to the 40-man roster earlier this offseason ahead of the Rule 5 Draft so as to not risk losing him. 

Hernandez stole 40 bases in 52 attempts across High-A and Double-A in 2022, while batting .298 at AA with a .357 on-base. He also swiped 35 bags in 2021 and has shown strong defense in center field. 

With the shoulder injury, however, a possible impending major league debut later in 2023 will likely be put on hold as he'll miss the first half of the season. 

Photo: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports