NOVEMBER 26 • MLB.COM
Guardians re-sign Valera on Minor League deal following DFA CLEVELAND -- Guardians former top prospect George Valera isn’t going anywhere. Last week, Valera was designated for assignment before he was...
Staying in Cleveland The Guardians signed Valera (knee) to a minor-league contract Monday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Impact Valera will remain in Cleveland after being non-tendered by the Guardians on Friday. The 24-year-old outfielder underwent surgery on his right knee in September to repair a ruptured patellar tendon, and he is unlikely to be ready for the start of the 2025 regular season. Valera will likely be assigned to Triple-A Columbus when he is fully healthy.
NOVEMBER 25 • ROTOWIRE
Non-tendered by Cleveland The Guardians non-tendered Valera on Friday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Impact Valera is expected to be sidelined into the first portion of the 2025 regular season after he underwent surgery on his right knee in September to repair a ruptured patellar tendon. Valera will be able to explore his next options, though he could opt to return to Cleveland on a minor-league deal and continue his rehab program with the Guardians. He appeared in 90 games for Triple-A Columbus in 2024 and posted a slash line of .248/.337/.452 with six stolen bases, 17 home runs and 50 RBI over 374 plate appearances.
NOVEMBER 23 • ROTOWIRE
Loses spot on 40-man roster The Guardians designated Valera (knee) for assignment Tuesday.
Impact Valera underwent surgery in September to repair a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee, and his absence is expected to extend into the first portion of the 2025 campaign. Rather than keeping him on the 40-man roster until then, the Guardians will attempt to pass the 24-year-old through waivers and hand his roster spot to fellow outfielder Petey Halpin.
NOVEMBER 20 • ROTOWIRE
Will undergo surgery on right knee Valera was diagnosed with a patellar tendon rupture in his right knee Monday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Impact Valera was placed on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list Friday due to what was initially listed as a right knee strain, but further tests have revealed a much more serious injury. He will undergo surgery Wednesday, and the expected recovery window is 6-to-9 months. The 23-year-old will finish his season in Triple-A with a slash line of .248/.337/.452 with six stolen bases, 17 home runs and 50 RBI across 374 plate appearances.
SEPTEMBER 16 • ROTOWIRE
Goes on IL Valera was placed on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list Friday due to a right knee strain.
Impact Valera has been mostly able to avoid injuries this year after losing significant time in 2023 to various ailments. He's struggled a bit with a .248/.337/.452 slash line and a 27.0 strikeout rate over 90 games while playing the whole year at Triple-A. He'll miss at least a week, but if the knee issue is even a moderate concern, he could be shut down for the year.
SEPTEMBER 13 • ROTOWIRE
Sent down to Triple-A Valera (hamstring) was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Friday.
Impact Valera didn't wind up playing in any Cactus League games after tweaking his hamstring early on in camp and it's not clear when he might be game-ready. The 23-year-old was limited by hamstring and wrist problems in the minors last season, slashing .211/.343/.375 with 10 homers in 73 games with Columbus.
MARCH 8 • ROTOWIRE
REPORTS: Top-10 Guardians Prospect Out For Multiple Weeks George Valera, Cleveland’s seventh-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, sustained a strained left hamstring during spring training...
FEBRUARY 24 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Is George Valera Answer For Guardians' Outfield Woes? Cleveland Guardians prospect George Valera has a lot of potential but also has some weaknesses to overcome.
OCTOBER 25, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Finishing up suspension Valera will serve the final game of a six-game suspension Tuesday for Triple-A Columbus, Guardians Prospective reports.
Impact Valera got into a dispute with an opposing catcher during an at-bat in a July 6 game at Nashville, which turned ugly with Valera eventually trying to throw punches while being restrained. It's been a year to forget thus far for the 22-year-old outfielder, as he has dealt with wrist and hamstring injuries while slashing .187/.319/.227 in 21 games for the Clippers.
JULY 18, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Guardians Prospect George Valera Ejected After Benches Clearing Incident Cleveland Guardians second ranked prospect George Valera ejected after altercation with Nashville Sounds catcher.
JULY 7, 2023 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
Active at Triple-A Valera, who has had an injury-plagued season, is active for Triple-A Columbus and hitting .136 with one extra-base hit, 10 walks and 13 strikeouts through 13 games.
Impact He has been on the injured list twice, first opening the season on the IL with a wrist injury and then suffering a hamstring injury in mid-May. Valera was activated from his most recent stint on the IL on June 17 after rehabbing in the Arizona Complex League. He doesn't turn 23 until November, so Valera still has youth on his side, but he has a career .202/.316/.384 slash line with nine home runs in 55 games at Triple-A.
JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Injured Guardians prospect could finish rehab assignment by end of the week George Valera, the club's No. 3 prospect, is in Arizona working on a hamstring injury.
JUNE 11, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM
Rehabbing in Arizona Valera (hamstring) went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and two RBI in Tuesday's Arizona Complex League game versus the Rockies' rookie-ball affiliate.
Impact Valera has progressed to rehab games in Arizona just a couple weeks after landing on the injured list for the second time this season. The outfield prospect may need a few more games in the ACL before rejoining the Triple-A Columbus lineup, where he'll look to stay healthy for an extended time.
JUNE 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Guardians will start Hunter Gaddis on Monday night; George Valera on injured list Hunter Gaddis will be recalled to start against the White Sox for injured Peyton Battenfield.
MAY 21, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM
Lands on IL again Valera (hamstring) was placed on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list Sunday.
Impact Valera missed six weeks to start the season while recovering from wrist surgery. He was healthy for a little more than a week before sustaining a new injury, though he hit just .188 with a stolen base and two RBI over five contests in that span. The outfield prospect struggled a bit in his first taste of Triple-A last year, and injury issues have slowed him down in 2023. He's still just 22 years old, so there's little reason for long-term panic.
MAY 21, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Activated off minor-league IL Valera (wrist) was activated off the injured list Thursday at Triple-A Columbus, Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com reports.
Impact Valera missed the first six weeks of the Triple-A season due to lingering issues with his surgically-repaired right hand/wrist, but he's in the clear now to continue his ascent through the Guardians' system. The 22-year-old outfielder posted an .816 OPS with 24 home runs in 132 games last summer between Double-A and Triple-A. If his health cooperates, he could make his MLB debut at some point in 2023.
MAY 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Goes on minor-league IL Triple-A Columbus placed Valera (wrist) on its 7-day injured list April 2.
Impact Valera underwent surgery on his right hand over the offseason and received a clean bill of health heading into spring training, but he aggravated the wrist in a Feb. 28 Cactus League game and remained sidelined for the rest of the Guardians' spring schedule. He's gradually increased his activities in the six weeks since, but it's not yet clear when he'll be ready to make his 2023 debut for Columbus. The outfielder will presumably join one of the Guardians' lower-level affiliates for a rehab assignment for a few games before rejoining Columbus.
APRIL 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Guardians send down George Valera, Logan Allen, Peyton Battenfield, Joey Cantillo Cleveland still has 52 players left in big league camp. Opening day is March 30.
MARCH 12, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM
Sent down to Triple-A camp Valera (wrist) was optioned Sunday to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Impact Valera has been bothered by a wrist injury, but he wasn't a real candidate to make the Opening Day roster regardless of health. The 22-year-old is widely considered one of the better hitting prospects in the Cleveland system, however, so there's a very good chance that he will make his MLB debut before the close of the 2023 season.
MARCH 12, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Outfielder George Valera still isn't ready to play: Guardians takeaways Guardians opening day starter Shane Bieber does well in B game performance against San Diego.
MARCH 10, 2023 • CLEVELAND.COM
Cleveland Guardians Injury Update: George Valera And Sam Hentges There’s good news on the injury front for George Valera and Sam Hentges
MARCH 10, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Doing bat-handling exercises Valera (wrist) is doing light bat-handling exercises, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Impact Valera had hamate bone surgery on his right wrist over the offseason and then had to be removed from a game last month with discomfort in the same wrist. There's no timetable for his return.
MARCH 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Terry Francona Provides Update On George Valera's Wrist Injury Cleveland Guardians prospect George Valera won’t be rushed back after he injured his right wrist.
MARCH 2, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Terry Francona Provides Update On George Valera's Wrist Injury Cleveland Guardians prospect George Valera won’t be rushed back after he injured his right wrist.
MARCH 2, 2023 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
