Prospect sues White Sox over injury at Guaranteed Rate Field in MLB debut

Dustin Fowler, the 22-year-old outfielder who suffered a season-ending knee injury in his MLB debut June 29 at Guaranteed Rate Field, is suing the Chicago White Sox and the state agency that manages the ballpark for negligence, reports Tom Schuba of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Fowler, then a New York Yankees prospect who has since been traded to the Oakland Athletics, filed a claim in Cook County Circuit Court against both the club and the agency for failing to secure the unpadded electrical box along the right-field line he crashed into while trying to track down a fly ball on that rainy June evening. The incident allegedly resulted in "severe and permanent" internal and external injuries that forced him to spend "large sums of money" on medical care. After being carted off the field, Fowler was diagnosed with a ruptured patellar tendon.

According to Fowler's suit, in their failure to properly pad the exposed box, the White Sox and state agency demonstrated "an utter indifference to or conscious disregard" for Fowler’s safety.

It's not clear how much money Fowler, who was expected to miss six months after undergoing surgery on his knee, is seeking in restitution.