Usually it’s a pitcher succumbing to Tommy John surgery or a shoulder operation, but this year the first major prospect injury appears to belong to a position player.

Playing in a minor league B game, Dodgers infielder Ivan DeJesus broke his left leg as he slid into home and had to be carted away from the field, according to BA correspondent Tony Jackson. The injury, a broken left tibia, might cause DeJesus to miss the entire 2009 season, according to Dodgers manager Joe Torre.

DeJesus, who turns 22 on May 1, batted .324/.423/.419 in 128 games last year with Double-A Jacksonville last year, playing primarily at shortstop but also seeing significant time at second base. This offseason the Dodgers signed Rafael Furcal through 2011 with a club option for 2012, so DeJesus didn’t appear to be in the Dodgers’ long-term plans at shortstop. The club recently signed Orlando Hudson to a one-year, $3.38 million contract to play second base, a position that DeJesus seemingly could have stepped into at some point in 2010 after more development in the minors.