Guardians' No. 3 prospect Arías fractures hand

Gabriel Arías won’t be able to make his return to the Majors any time soon.

Arías fractured his right hand (fifth metacarpal) in Sunday’s contest with Triple-A Columbus. He’s still undergoing all the necessary tests and evaluations to determine his timeline, but he’s already expected to miss several weeks of games.

The Guardians’ No. 3 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline was nearing his arrival to the big leagues. He was able to get a taste of the Majors on April 20, serving as the extra man in a doubleheader against the White Sox at Progressive Field. At the time, the team knew his stay would be limited to one day, but it was almost inevitable that he soon become a regular player on the big league roster at some point this season.

Now, this plan is halted. Arías hadn’t gotten off to the offensive start he’d hoped to this season, hitting just .197 with a .649 OPS in 17 games prior to his injury. But the potential he’s displayed over the last four seasons (posting a career .271 average with a .736 OPS, with slick defense) and the tremendous campaigns he’s had in big league Spring Training the last two years left many excited for his call up to the Majors.