Rockies minor league outfielder Yonathan Daza will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder next week, the team confirmed. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase first reported the news.
Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweets that Daza’s procedure is similar to the one which second baseman Brendan Rodgers underwent in spring training. As Harding points out, the outfielder has been bothered by shoulder issues on a few occasions. He missed a few weeks late last season after dislocating the same shoulder when diving for a ball in the outfield.
Daza was Colorado’s Opening Day center fielder this year. The speedster was coming off a .301/.349/.384 showing in a career-high 113 contests. He only got into 24 big league games this season, posting a .270/.304/.351 line through 80 trips to the plate. In early May, Colorado designated him for assignment and ran him through outright waivers. He went on to appear in 39 games for their top affiliate in Albuquerque, hitting .305/.350/.415 in an extremely hitter-friendly setting before landing on the minor league injured list Wednesday.
This news could end Daza’s time in the organization. He’ll qualify for minor league free agency at season’s end unless the Rockies add him back to the 40-man roster. That almost certainly won’t happen with his second half wiped out. The Rox could try to retain him on a minor league deal, but the 29-year-old will presumably get a chance to explore non-roster opportunities around the league next winter.
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