X-rays reveal wrist fracture for Florial

TAMPA, Fla. -- Yankees top prospect Estevan Florial will be sidelined for the beginning of his Minor League season, having sustained a non-displaced right wrist fracture during New York's 17-7 Grapefruit League victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Florial, who is rated as the No. 57 overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, crashed into the center-field fence and crumpled to the warning track while pursuing Danny Jansen's eighth-inning drive off Greg Weissert. The ball fell for a two-run triple, and Florial was in obvious discomfort as he returned to his position.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone lifted Florial for a pinch-hitter in the home half of the eighth. He had initially expressed optimism that the injury was "something minor," saying that the club was sending the five-tool prospect for X-rays "just in case."

The 21-year-old Florial had enjoyed an impressive spring, collecting 11 hits in 31 at-bats (.355) with two doubles, a homer, four RBIs and five stolen bases in 13 games.

General manager Brian Cashman recently said that he was considering having Florial begin his season at Double-A Trenton, but it now appears more likely that he will return to Class A Advanced Tampa, where Florial played the majority of 2018.

Florial batted a combined .283/.377/.422 at three levels of the Yankees' farm system last year, though he appeared in only 84 games, losing approximately two months to right hamate bone surgery performed in May.

Now, the exciting talent will again be out of commission for a yet-to-be-determined time frame.

"He's got as good of a ceiling as any prospect you want to look at in the game," Boone said recently. "There is a lot to be excited about. He works. He wants to be really good at this."