Prospect Pedro León underwent sports hernia surgery earlier this week, and the Astros told reporters this afternoon that he won’t be ready for the start of Spring Training. León still appears to be in a position to start the regular season on time because the surgery has a six- to eight-week recuperation period.
Astros' Prospect Pedro Leon Undergoes Sports Hernia Surgery https://t.co/1LDA4OnOnr pic.twitter.com/XYUV5LaHav
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) January 20, 2023
The 24 years old Pedro León, was a well-known foreign acquisition for Houston during the 2020–21 offseason. He was a Cuban native who didn’t enter the amateur free agent market until he was about to start his age-23 season. He was still thought to be one of the more gifted players in that signing class, and because of his experience, he was well ahead of the average signee—the majority of whom join teams when they are teenagers.
His first season as a professional saw him reassigned to Double-A, then later in the season, he moved up to Triple-A Sugar Land. The right-handed batter played for the Space Cowboys the entire previous season. He had a batting line of.228/.365/.431 through 504 plate appearances, hitting 17 home runs and stealing 38 bases. León demonstrated certain areas that need attention despite the promise inherent in his combination of speed, plate discipline, and power potential.
He struck out in roughly 29% of his at-bat attempts and was caught stealing 18 times. This offseason, Baseball America ranked him as the #6 prospect in the Houston organization, complimenting his physical prowess but casting doubt on his contact ability. León, who was originally signed as a shortstop, spent much of the season in the outfield.
He participated in 23 games in the middle of the infield while making 52 starts in center field and 33 more in right all but three at second base. It wouldn’t be unexpected to see him play a role in the MLB outfield during the upcoming season given his expertise at the highest level.
Pedro León is now behind Chas McCormick, Mauricio Dubón, and Jake Meyers on the depth chart because they are all on the 40-man roster. However, by midseason, the young youngster might be included. He is not yet a part of the 40-man roster.