Lourdes Gurriel Jr. To Miss 9-10 Months Following ACL Surger
Diamondbacks outfielder was diagnosed with a just over a week ago, and reports that he underwent surgery today with 9-10 month recovery timetable. In other words, Gurriel figures to mi s the first half and could be back at some point in June or July, barring any setbacks or other changes to that timeline. Gurriel, 32 next month, is in the second year of the three-year, $42MM deal with Arizona that he agreed to during the 2023-24 offseason. That contract gives Gurriel the opportunity to opt out after the 2025 season, although hes all but guaranteed to decline that opportunity given that hell mi s half of next year. A suming he doesnt opt out, Gurriel will make $13MM next year and the Diamondbacks will hold a $14MM option with a $5MM buyout for the 2027 campaign. The ACL tear was a bitter ending to what was a disappointing year at the plate for Gurriel. While hes a limited defender who has never put up the gaudy numbers nece sary to get much attention as a corner bat, the one-time All-Star has been incredibly consistent throughout his career in the majors. Hes settled in as a player who posts a wRC+ in the 105-115 range on an annual basis, with a 109 wRC+ overall for his career. This year was the exception, however, as he hit just .248/.295/.418 Will Wagner Jersey in 546 plate appearances. While he hit 19 homers, stole ten bases, and posted a career-low 13.9% strikeout rate, Gurriels .254 BABIP this year was more than 60 points below his career norm entering this season. Given that unfortunate luck on batted balls, its perhaps not a shock that Gurriel under-performed his expected numbers this year for the first time since 2021. His .307 wOBA this year was in line with middling production from hitters like and , but his .320 xwOBA suggests his underlying performance was more in line with the performances of slightly above average offensive contributors like , , and . Its also more or le s in line with the sort of production Arizona has come to expect from Gurriel, and while those expected numbers didnt help much this year they offer optimism that he can get back to his usual self once he returns from surgery next year. Losing around half a season from Gurriel in 2026 is sure to a be a blow to the Diamondbacks, but a silver lining for the club is their deep group of outfield options. , , and are all under team control for 2026 and beyond, while youngster and utility man have both also gotten reps in the outfield in recent weeks and could help provide depth behind that group. Tawa and Alexander are both right-handed hitters who could help complement the otherwise left-handed outfield, but with Gurriels righty bat out of commi sion it might make sense for Arizona to explore adding a right-handed outfielder to the mix this winter. Thats especially true given the fact that was dealt away to the Royals at this years trade deadline, leaving plenty of room for another righty bat on Arizonas roster. , , and are among the options who could make some sense aside from Grichuk himself. Shannon Stewart Jersey




