MILWAUKEE -- First baseman Andrew Vaughn fractured the hamate bone in his left hand on Opening Day and needs surgery, the Brewers announced Saturday, prompting a promotion to the Majors for top catching prospect Jeferson Quero for what would be his Major League debut.
Summoning Quero will give the team another right-handed hitter. It also provides the flexibility to use veteran Gary Sánchez at first base when needed in place of Vaughn, who will undergo surgery on Monday in Milwaukee, to be performed by Dr. Tony LoGiudice. Vaughn's expected recovery time is 4-6 weeks.
The injury occurred when Vaughn was jammed during an at-bat in the Brewers’ 14-2 win over the White Sox on Opening Day.
“I think it happened in my first at-bat,” said Vaughn, who took three more at-bats after that, including in the sixth when he knocked an RBI single. “I went home that night and felt kind of fine. My hand was a little sore. I woke up in the middle of the night and it was barking. It was like, ‘Something’s not right.’ …
“I definitely was [surprised]. Usually people say when it happens, right away it stings. I think it could have been the adrenaline of Opening Day. Then it hit me: Something is definitely wrong.”
He texted head athletic trainer Brad Epstein on the team’s off-day and went for tests, which revealed that Vaughn was the latest of a spate of prominent Major Leaguers to go down with fractured hamates. Over the course of three days in February, the Mets' Francisco Lindor, the Orioles' Jackson Holliday and the D-backs’ Corbin Carroll all suffered the same injury.
Lindor and Carroll were both playing Spring Training games at about the four-week mark. Holliday took longer, beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Friday at approximately the six-week mark.
“Unfortunately, it’s part of the game,” Vaughn said. “I’m just looking at the positives. Hopefully it’s a quick recovery.”
Venezuelan journalist Daniel Álvarez-Montes was first to report the promotion of Quero, 23, who is the Brewers’ No. 8-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. He ranked among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 overall prospects as recently as last year, but fell out after missing all of 2024 with a major shoulder injury that required surgery, then missing more time in '25 with a hamstring injury.
COMPLETE BREWERS PROSPECT COVERAGE
Quero was the Opening Day catcher for Triple-A Nashville on Friday night and went 0-for-2 with a walk in a rain-shortened, 6-4 loss. Quero was the batterymate for Sounds starter Robert Gasser, who struck out 11 in a stellar, 5 2/3-inning start.
Now, he’s finally a Major Leaguer.
“It was a long road to get here, but everything that happened makes this moment more exciting,” Quero said.
“It’s a great story,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “That surgery is way more serious than maybe any surgery you can have for a baseball player. For him to respond to the point where he can be as good as he is today is remarkable. He was an elite thrower before the surgery. He’s not an elite thrower now, but he’s made due. It’s an incredible journey.”
Vaughn’s injury is the second unexpected blow to the Brewers’ health in the first 48 hours or so of the regular season. They placed outfielder Jackson Chourio on the 10-day IL the morning of Opening Day with a fractured left hand, an injury originally suffered while playing for Venezuela ahead of the World Baseball Classic.
“That’s big. Vaughn and Chourio are two of the top five in the order, and they’re both right-handed hitters,” Murphy said.
The Brewers will rely on a left-handed hitter, Jake Bauers, to help cover both absences. Bauers started in left field in Chourio’s place, then started at first base for Game 2 of the season on Saturday. Bauers had the best Spring Training of any hitter in the Majors, hitting seven home runs with a 1.725 OPS. Then he homered again on Opening Day.
“The boys are all in good hands,” Vaughn said.