LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Dustin Peterson came to Spring Training with a realistic shot of reaching the Major League level at some point this year. But the Braves prospect will now spend at least the next two months recovering from a left hand injury that has occasionally had a lingering effect on hitters.
The Braves announced Peterson underwent surgery on Friday to to remove the hook of the hamate bone in his left hand. Dr. Gary Lourie performed the procedure on the 22-year-old outfielder, who sustained the injury when he checked a swing during Wednesday night's game against the Yankees in Tampa.
While the Braves believe Peterson could resume baseball activities in early May, it remains to be seen how long it might take the outfielder to regain all of his strength.
Peterson slashed .282/.343/.431 and totaled 12 homers while playing a majority of his games at Double-A Mississippi's pitcher-friendly Trustmark Park last year. He then batted .324 and produced a .823 OPS during the Arizona Fall League.
Ranked as the Braves' No. 18 prospect by MLBPipeline, Peterson has been targeted to open his season with Triple-A Gwinnett. There was also a possibility he might have been deemed the top option if Atlanta suddenly gained the need for an everyday outfielder.