The Guardians had to go into Tuesday’s Game 2 against the White Sox without two bats they can hardly spare, and Chase DeLauter’s right wrist was the bigger concern.
DeLauter sat after feeling the wrist tighten up again on a swing in his final at-bat Monday. By Tuesday, the soreness had increased enough that manager Stephen Vogt called the situation “real” and said the outfielder is still trying to push through it.
“In his last at-bat, felt the wrist again on one swing and came in today more sore than he has been,” Vogt said. “And again, this is real.
He’s been trying to play through it. And so again, very day to day with both Chase and Angel.”
Cleveland entered the night 1 1/2 games back of first-place Chicago in the AL Central and a game ahead of Toronto for the final AL wild card spot. Monday’s 7-3 loss didn’t just hurt in the standings - it also gave the White Sox the head-to-head tiebreaker.
That left the Guardians trying to survive one of the most important games of their season without DeLauter and Angel Martínez, both of whom matter plenty to a lineup already under pressure.
DeLauter has been Cleveland’s most productive hitter on the surface and in the counting stats. He leads the club with a .289 average, 14 homers, 62 RBI and an .815 OPS. He also owns team-highs with 40 multi-hit games, and among AL rookies he’s first in batting average and second with 134 hits.
The wrist issue isn’t new. It already knocked him out for four games from Sept. 5-8, then sent him back into the lineup.
Before the setback, he’d been scorching, hitting .341 over a 24-game run that started Aug. 11.
Martínez’s exit Monday was also injury-related, though the early read was more encouraging. He left with right flank inflammation during an at-bat, and the team treated it as a precaution.
“He’s doing all right,” Vogt said. “I think we avoided something major, so we’re day to day with Angel and see how he feels tomorrow.”
Martínez is hitting .248 with 15 home runs, 53 RBI and a .728 OPS. Since Aug. 1, he’s been even better, batting .304 with 10 doubles, four homers and 20 RBI across 34 games. His 38 extra-base hits are second on the team.
Neither player was put on the injured list before Tuesday’s game, though Cleveland was still weighing a roster move in the hours before first pitch.
With 11 games left after Tuesday, the margin for error is thin. Vogt said the Guardians have to weigh the race in front of them against the danger of forcing injured players to keep going.
“It’s less than ideal obviously, but it happens,” Vogt said. “And at the end of the day, we’ve got to do what’s right for the player and have them as close to 100% for as many games as possible.
“And sometimes that means making uncomfortable decisions and holding guys out because we need to do what’s right for them and for them to be as close to at their best as they can be for as many games as we have left.”
For now, DeLauter’s wrist is the issue that could shape the rest of the stretch run - and possibly force Cleveland into one of those uncomfortable calls before the season runs out.
In Other News...
Guardians Rookie Just Delivered The Response Cleveland Needed Most
Petey Halpin gave Cleveland exactly the kind of night a young player can use to change the conversation. After an early defensive misplay, the rookie answered with the biggest swing of the game, a go-ahead three-run homer against the White Sox that helped the Guardians beat Chicago 6-3 and move into first place in the AL Central. It was the sort of response teams remember, especially from a player still trying to carve out his place on a club with real division ambitions.
Halpins night carried a little extra weight because of the matchup, too. He had not done much against left-handed pitching before, but he came through with his first home run off a lefty and added key hits along the way, drawing praise from teammates and coaches for the way he handled the moment. For Cleveland, it was more than a promising rookie performance. It was the kind of contribution that can steady a dugout and hint at what the Guardians might have in him going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Grabbed Back First Place At The Perfect Time
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Jo Adell, Tommy Pham, Petey Halpin and Jose all helped push the inning-to-inning advantage along, while the bullpen piece mattered just as much once the lead was in hand. Hagen Smith, Sean Newcomb and Hunter Gaddis each had a hand in the late work, and for Cleveland the bigger picture was as important as the box score: a win like this came at exactly the right moment in a tight race, with first place back within reach again. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Steven Kwan Decision Fans May Hate
Steven Kwans name has become one of the more interesting long-term conversations around Cleveland as the season moves along, because the Guardians are staring at a familiar kind of front-office crossroads. He is entering the final year of his contract, and after 2027 he could be on track for free agency, which makes his future a real issue for a club that has to balance present value with the realities of its roster cycle.
Kwans season has still carried plenty of value, with his overall impact showing up strongly in bWAR even as his offense has been a little below his usual standard. That tension is what makes the coming offseason so delicate for Cleveland: whether to explore a trade while his market is still strong or push for a long-term extension and keep one of its most recognizable everyday players in place. [Read more 🡒]