Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft, will have shoulder surgery on Wednesday.
Diamondbacks farm director Josh Barfield told reporters that Jones will have an arthroscopic posterior labral repair procedure done by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel reported on July 26 that Jones suffered the injury during his first batting practice with the Diamondbacks after being drafted.
It wasn't clear at that point if Jones would need surgery or how long he might be out of action.
Jones signed his contract with the Diamondbacks three days before he suffered the injury. The 18-year-old received a record $8.185 million signing bonus, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
This marks the second consecutive year that Arizona's top draft pick suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. Jordan Lawlar, the No. 6 selection in 2021, suffered a posterior labrum tear after playing two games in the minors last year.
Corbin Carroll, the No. 16 pick by the Diamondbacks in 2019, also had shoulder surgery in 2021. He has 20 homers and a 1.071 OPS in 73 games across three levels in the minors this season.
Per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, Jones' surgery is similar to the one Lawlar had.
There's been no indication that Lawlar is having any lingering effects from the procedure. The 20-year-old is hitting .320/.407/.532 with 29 extra-base hits, 38 RBI and 28 stolen bases in 64 games in the minors.
Expectations are incredibly high for Jones as he prepares to start his professional career. He is the son of five-time MLB All-Star Andruw Jones and has earned high marks for his defensive ability in center field and power potential.
Druw Jones suffered a shoulder injury during his first batting practice with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization Tuesday, per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Jones would be out for the year as a result.
The Athletic's Zach Buchanan previously reported:
"The 18-year-old Jones has already undergone medical imaging and will meet with Phoenix-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gary Waslewski on Wednesday to determine the next course of action. [D-Backs farm director Josh] Barfield said 'it's too early to say' whether Jones will be ready for the start of spring training next year."
Jones signed with the Diamondbacks last week for a bonus of $8.2 million. He was the second overall pick out of Wesleyan High School in Georgia, being picked behind only Jackson Holliday, the son of former seven-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday.
Jones, the son of former Atlanta Braves star Andruw Jones, was named the 2022 Georgia High School State Player of the Year after leading his team to a 35-0 record and hitting .570 with 13 home runs in his senior season.
Jones was also ranked as the top prospect in the 2022 class, per MLB.com.
The 18-year-old's injury is certainly unfortunate for the Diamondbacks, who have seen some of their top picks over the last several years suffer injuries shortly after signing.
Arizona's 2019 first-round pick, Corbin Carroll, underwent season-ending shoulder surgery during the 2021 season after appearing in just seven games. Also in 2021, sixth overall pick Jordan Lawlar appeared in two pro games before missing the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Despite the injuries, both Carroll and Lawlar are among the top-ranked prospects in baseball. Carroll ranks second in MLB.com's Top 100, while Lawlar comes in at No. 11.
