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Cleveland Guardians have suffered a significant setback in their player development pipeline as top prospect Travis Bazzana exited Thursday’s Triple-A Columbus game against St. Paul with left oblique soreness. According to MLB.com, the issue surfaced during the Clippers’ 4-3 win, with the 23-year-old removed defensively entering the bottom of the fifth inning after going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts.
The cause of the injury was not immediately confirmed, though Bazzana had made a leaping catch in the bottom of the fourth inning. His removal raised concerns given his previous struggles with similar issues earlier this year.
Previous injury history adds concern
Travis Bazzana, the Guardians’ No. 1 prospect and ranked No. 15 overall by MLB Pipeline, has already missed time this season with an internal right oblique strain. That injury sidelined him for nearly two months, keeping him out from May 21 until July 18 during his stint with Double-A Akron.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft was promoted to Triple-A Columbus on August 11, where he has since shown glimpses of his potential despite inconsistency at the plate. Over 26 games with the Clippers, Bazzana has produced a .225/.420/.438 slash line, including three doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 14 RBIs. His plate discipline has been a highlight, recording an impressive 24.2% walk rate, though his 26.7% strikeout rate remains an area for improvement.
Strong first professional season despite setbacks
Across three levels this year—Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Double-A Akron, and Triple-A Columbus—Travis Bazzana has compiled a .245/.389/.424 batting line with 17 doubles, five triples, nine home runs, and 39 RBIs over 84 games. In total, he has tallied 374 plate appearances in his first full professional season.
Despite his promise, Bazzana will not participate in the upcoming Arizona Fall League. Guardians vice president of player development Stephen Osterer explained that the decision was a joint one, prioritizing Bazzana’s long-term development.
“He’s going to have around 80 games. He’ll have around 400 plate appearances or so,” Osterer said pregame Thursday at Progressive Field. “It wasn’t immediately obvious on what the best path was. But as we talked through it, I think both Travis and the [organization] and our people believe that spending time training in the offseason and having a full offseason was the best path for him. We’re excited about that for Travis.”
While the Guardians will closely monitor Travis Bazzana’s recovery, the immediate focus shifts to his health and ensuring he enters the 2026 season fully prepared. The Australian native is expected to spend part of the offseason at home before returning to Cleveland’s player development complex in Arizona for training.
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