One of the Chicago White Sox’s most exciting young prospects will likely miss the remainder of the season. Outfielder Braden Montgomery suffered a small fracture in his right foot after being hit by a pitch Saturday in Chattanooga.

While the injury isn’t considered major, it’s expected to sideline him for the rest of the year. According to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, the White Sox are optimistic Montgomery will be ready to participate in the Arizona Fall League once fully healed.

The White Sox have shown promise in the second half of the season, fueled by a wave of young talent reaching the majors. But Montgomery may have the highest ceiling of the group. He is currently the White Sox top-ranked prospect due to his switch-hitting ability and strong arm in right field, making him a potential cornerstone for Chicago’s future.

While he is expected to return by the start of next season, this marks the second straight year Montgomery has dealt with an injury setback. He missed the entire 2024 season after fracturing his ankle while playing for Texas A&M last June. Despite that, the Boston Red Sox still selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft, before trading him to Chicago without him playing a professional game.

While it’s disappointing that Montgomery’s season has been cut short, his 2025 campaign offered plenty of reasons for optimism. Across three levels in his first professional season, Montgomery posted a .270/.360/.444 slash line with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases over 121 games.

The 22-year-old began the year in Low-A Kannapolis, where he impressed enough to earn a promotion to High-A Winston-Salem after just 18 games. From there, he continued to climb quickly, reaching Double-A Birmingham after 69 games and finishing the season with 34 games at that level.