In typical Yankees fashion, we learned that top prospect Chase Hampton is set to return soon before finding out what actually happened to him.
In late spring, after making top 100 lists and earning praise as a potential 2024 sleeper who could bolster the big-league roster, Hampton appeared as a footnote in MLB Pipeline’s summary of where their favorite prospects would start the season. The note (Injured – Shoulder Discomfort) marked the first time Yankee fans heard that Hampton was sidelined.
This only added to the confusion when, in mid-April, Hampton’s issue was described as a “UCL sprain.” Did a shoulder injury lead to elbow problems due to a compromised motion? Was there a miscommunication with MLB Pipeline from the start? And why hadn’t there been any updates on Hampton since the season’s first month?
Fortunately, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner has provided the biggest update on Hampton since the infamous cop-Justin Timberlake incident. As expected, the Yankees revealed this news while Matt Blake was discussing recent pitching struggles with Kirschner, because no Hampton news can ever be straightforward.
According to the Yankees, Hampton has been throwing live BP recently and is on track to return this season. Thank you.
Yankees’ top prospect Chase Hampton will return in 2024, apparently.
You can now remove Hampton as a potential 2024 wild card, if you hadn’t already. However, any future that avoids surgery is relatively good news for the Yankees. If Hampton can get through 2024 without further issues and contribute in the upper minors, his predicted path can resume next spring, delayed by a few months rather than entirely derailed.
Even with the most optimistic outlook, 2024 will largely be a lost year for Hampton. But after the Texas Tech righty struck out 145 batters in 106.2 innings last season—his first professional campaign!—it’s encouraging that he can remain on the radar later this summer rather than disappearing from it completely.
