Red Sox Top Prospect Reportedly To Undergo Surgery, Miss Rest Of Season

Boston’s top outfield prospect reportedly suffered a huge blow Saturday.

Miguel Bleis is expected to undergo left shoulder surgery and miss the rest of the 2023 season, according to Boston Sports Journal’s Chris Henrique and MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. The injury is a left shoulder subluxation, according to Cotillo and The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

The 19-year-old is the Red Sox’s No. 2 overall prospect at SoxProspects and ranks 39th overall at FanGraphs and 74th overall in Major League Baseball’s prospect rankings.

Bleis was placed on the injured list at Single-A Salem after straining his shoulder on a swing on May 31 and has not played since, per Cotillo. He had a slow start, batting .230 with a .607 OPS through 31 games, and Bleis hit one home run with 16 RBIs.

However, the outfielder came into the season as one of Boston’s most exciting prospects. Bleis signed in 2021, and he quickly was deemed one of the best five-tool prospects in Boston’s farm system since Mookie Betts, and he has been called the best international prospect for the Red Sox since Rafael Devers.

He flashed his talent in spring training this year, and he had a lofty goal for his MLB career.

Bleis’ prospects of playing in the majors always was years away, but this injury obviously is a huge road bump in his career. One Boston hopes he can recover from and grow stronger next season.