Leo De Vries, the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, is scheduled for anterior labrum surgery on his right shoulder on September 13. The estimated recovery is eight months — which effectively wipes out the start of the 2027 season, the year Oakland had circled for his big-league debut.
What De Vries did before going down
In 93 games with Double-A Midland in 2026, the 19-year-old Dominican-Dutch infielder slashed .290/.378/.458 — an OPS of .863 that would make him an above-average hitter at any level — with 13 home runs, 55 RBI and 34 stolen bases. The kicker: De Vries was born October 11, 2006, meaning he was competing against players who were, on average, nearly five years older. It was the best season of his career across batting average, OBP, OPS and steals.
The timeline and what it means for Oakland
De Vries was placed on the 60-day injured list on August 14. With surgery set for September 13 and an eight-month recovery clock, the math points to a return around May 2027 — best case, he misses just the start of the regular season; worst case, he loses a significant chunk of it.
Bill Moriarity of A’s Farm first reported the surgery on September 8. The confirmation came from @AthleticsFarm on X and was picked up by MLB Trade Rumors and ClutchPoints the same day.
The trade that made this hurt even more
De Vries arrived in Oakland at the July 2025 trade deadline as the centerpiece of a blockbuster deal: the A’s sent closer Mason Miller and starter JP Sears to the San Diego Padres in exchange for De Vries — then the No. 3 prospect in baseball, now No. 2 per MLB Pipeline — along with pitching prospects Braden Nett, Henry Baez and Eduarniel Núñez. It was widely considered one of the boldest moves in recent memory for either franchise.
The injury lands in an already brutal year for Oakland’s organization. Nick Kurtz, Jacob Wilson, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom all spent time on the injured list with significant ailments, and minor-league pitcher Wei-En Lin already underwent Tommy John surgery. The A’s entire rebuilding timeline leaned heavily — literally — on De Vries’s shoulders.
Not time to write the eulogy yet
Declaring Oakland the loser of the Mason Miller trade right now would be premature. Anterior labrum surgery carries a high rate of full recovery in young athletes, De Vries is only 19, and the trade package includes three additional pitching prospects. The blow is real, but this story is nowhere near its final chapter.
