Lourdes Gurriel Jr. suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and was officially added to the 10-day injured list today. This injury will sideline him for the rest of the 2025 season and probably the first couple of months of 2026 as well.

Gurriel Jr. intends to get another medical evaluation for his injury, although the team seems quite sure about the preliminary diagnosis.

Gurriel Jr. was hurt during yesterday’s game while trying to avoid center fielder Blaze Alexander, who made a diving catch in the gap of left-center field.

“I completed the catch without any idea of what was happening behind me,” Alexander said after the Rattlers’ 7-5 loss in 10 innings to the Rangers. “After the catch, I was looking at the crowd and started running back. I saw shortstop Geraldo Perdomo running toward me. I wondered what was going on. Then I looked back and saw Gurriel Jr. on the ground.”

Losing this veteran player is a major blow for the Rattlers, who are barely holding on to a slim playoff chance. Since August 1, Gurriel Jr. has been scorching at the plate, driving in 32 runs, second only to Kyle Schwarber’s 33 RBIs in that span.

The Rattlers have faced a huge list of injuries this year, including several players they had counted on to lead them into the postseason.

Both closers—A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez—have missed most of the year recovering from Tommy John surgery, and ace Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million deal in the offseason, has also been sidelined.

“When I got here today, I talked with him for a few minutes. He just wanted to understand why this happened and what the coming days, weeks, months, or even a year might look like,” said Rattlers’ manager Torey Lovullo. “My heart goes out to him; I can see he’s in pain. This is a very tough time for this team. It’s another blow, and they keep coming, right?”

As for who will take over left field, the Rattlers are likely to use Jake McCarthy, Jorge Barrosa, and possibly Alexander, who has limited experience in center field in the minors but has never played left field.

Another possibility is Tim Tawa, who could be called up after recovering and returning to the Triple-A Reno active roster.

Regarding Gurriel Jr.’s future, he has a contract opt-out after this season but is now almost certain not to exercise it. In that case, he will earn $13 million next year. The Rattlers hold a $14 million club option for 2027 with a $5 million buyout.

With Gurriel Jr. expected to miss at least the first few months of next year, the performances of McCarthy, Barrosa, Alexander, Tawa, and any other players who get left field playing time late in the season will heavily influence who earns those opportunities in 2026.

This offseason, Rattlers’ GM Mike Hazen will have many holes to fill, especially since Zac Gallen will likely leave via free agency. For next year’s starting rotation, it appears only Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brandon Pfaadt have secure spots.

Additionally, Hazen needs to strengthen the bullpen, which was a key reason for the team’s struggles this year. This means the Rattlers will look to fill Gurriel Jr.’s early-season vacancy with players already in their farm system, including top prospects like Tommy Troy (ranked sixth by MLB Pipeline) and Ryan Waldschmidt (ranked second), who could reach the majors at some point next season.

“We need to be able to handle the left field issue because resources will have to be spent on pitching,” Hazen said. “Whether that’s money or trading prospects.”

The Rattlers also made other roster moves today, recalling right-hander Taylor Rashi and infielder Connor Kaiser from Triple-A Reno while optioning right-hander Juan Burgos back down.