Yanks' Jagielo to miss AFL after face injury

The Yankees were hoping to extend Eric Jagielo's 2014 season. Instead, an errant fastball has brought it to another premature end.

While playing in an instructional league game Sunday, Jagielo was struck in the face by a fastball and suffered "a slight fracture in his zygomatic arch near his left eye," according to MLB.com.

The unfortunate accident forced surgery, and Jagielo's recovery will keep him out of commission for 4-6 weeks, meaning he will be forced to miss the Arizona Fall League, where he was scheduled to play for Scottsdale starting next week.

Selected with the 26th overall pick back in 2013, the Yankees' No. 3 prospect made his full-season debut this past season but played in only 85 games for Class A Advanced Tampa because of a strained oblique that sidelined him for two months. He did impress in the Florida State League, however, by putting up a .259/.354/.460 line with 16 homers and 54 RBIs in his 85 games at the level. The 22-year-old third baseman was also named an FSL midseason All-Star.

The left-handed hitter would have been able to measure up against some of the best prospects in the game in the Fall League, but that hope came to an end following his surgery this week. He posted a post-surgery photo on Instagram with the caption, "Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and prayers! Surgery was successful!"

The Yankees organization doesn't seem too worried about any long-term effects from this setback.

"He should be fine," Yankees director of player personnel John Kremer told MLB.com. "His vision is A-OK and we don't anticipate any lingering issues. He'll be back for Spring Training."

When Jagielo does return in 2015, he'll likely start the season at Double-A Trenton. If he can flash the same power stroke he's shown so far in pro ball, the left-handed slugger should climb to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by year's end.