Yoeilin Cespedes, one of the top prospects in the Red Sox system, has a broken hamate bone in his left hand that will likely require surgery, interrupting what had been one of the standout performances in the organization this season.
Though the start of his season was delayed by a spring training quadriceps injury, Cespedes, 18, hit .319/.400/.615 with five homers in 25 games in the Rookie Level Florida Complex League, earning a late-June promotion to Single A Salem.
Before his full-season debut, however, Cespedes — a middle infielder who has split his time between short and second — experienced soreness in his left hand. The issue lingered longer than expected, and testing resulted in a diagnosis of the hamate fracture, according to farm director Brian Abraham.
Typically, surgery to reduce a broken hamate sidelines players for approximately six to eight weeks. If Cespedes does undergo surgery, his return to Salem’s lineup before the end of the season, just two months away, would be in question.
Nonetheless, the long-term prognosis for players returning from hamate surgery is excellent, and would likely leave Cespedes’ prospect status unchanged. Soxprospects.com recently pegged Cespedes as the No. 7 prospect in the system. The 5-foot-8-inch infielder features a compact, powerful, righthanded swing, showing potential as an above-average, bat-first regular, most likely at second or third base.
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.