The Guardians spent Sunday juggling two very different lineup situations, with rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter nursing a right wrist sprain and Jose Ramirez getting a planned breather against the Detroit Tigers.
DeLauter’s issue surfaced in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader. He felt discomfort on his final swing of the night after taking a shot to the arm, and Cleveland is treating the 24-year-old as day to day while it waits to see how he responds. The club said he’s receiving treatment and could provide another update later.
It’s a frustrating pause for one of Cleveland’s most productive young bats. In his first full big-league season, DeLauter has hit .294 with a .365 on-base percentage and .823 OPS, while adding 13 home runs, 60 RBIs and 10 stolen bases across 445 plate appearances. He also went 2-for-3 with two doubles in Friday’s opener before the wrist problem showed up in the nightcap.
Ramirez’s day off was more about caution than concern. Stephen Vogt made clear the move was planned, with the veteran third baseman still being managed carefully after returning from left hamate bone surgery earlier this season.
That recovery has been part of the picture all year, and the Guardians are keeping an eye on the workload of one of their most important players. Through 119 games, Ramirez has put up a .237 batting average, .330 on-base percentage and .708 OPS with 11 home runs, 48 RBIs and 31 stolen bases.
With the final stretch of the regular season here, Cleveland is trying to keep both players in good shape for the games that matter most. The Guardians currently hold the final American League wild card spot, and they’ll need production from both DeLauter and Ramirez if they’re going to stay there as September rolls on.
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Former Guardians First Base Flier Is A Fresh Reminder Of Cleveland's Problem
Deyvison De Los Santos barely spent any time in Cleveland last spring, but his name still lingers as a reminder of the kind of upside the Guardians have been forced to chase at first base. He came through camp in 2024 as a Rule 5 flier, then went back to the Arizona Diamondbacks after the brief stint ended, a move that fit the clubs broader habit of looking for answers where there is some power, some potential and a fair amount of uncertainty.
Now De Los Santos is back in the conversation after the Miami Marlins called him up to replace infielder Leo Jimnez, with an opportunity to compete for an everyday roster spot. He already made his MLB debut earlier in 2024 and has flashed promise even while working through some rough stretches in Triple-A, which is exactly why his path stands out to Cleveland fans who know how thin the margin can be when a team is still searching for stability at the position. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Wasted A Promising Parker Messick Start For One Frustrating Reason
Parker Messick gave Cleveland plenty to build on in his latest outing, bringing swing-and-miss stuff from the start and working deep enough to hand the Guardians a chance against Detroit. The rookie left-hander was piling up strikeouts and had a career night in that department, but the line still turned frustrating quickly as the Tigers kept finding just enough damage to make the outing look far less clean than it felt at times.
Riley Greene, back from the injured list, was the difference. He saw Messick well all afternoon, finishing 3 for 3 and driving two balls out of the park, while Detroit got seven scoreless innings from Framber Valdez in a 6-0 shutout. For Cleveland, it was the kind of loss that leaves a young starter's best work buried under the one matchup the Guardians could not solve. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Future Still Feels Unsettled Despite Everything This Team Keeps Doing
Even as the Guardians keep finding ways to compete with a payroll that never matches the big spenders, the larger question around the franchise is still hanging over the organization. Bleacher Report recently ranked MLB ownership groups that could benefit from selling, putting the Dolan family at No. 3 and pointing to Cleveland as a small-market club that has done plenty on the field while operating within tight financial limits.
There is at least some faint long-term structure already in place, with private equity investor David Blitzer buying a minority stake in 2022 and a potential path to majority ownership as early as 2027. But the possibility of a change remains unsettled, and for now the Guardians keep doing the hard part anyway by staying relevant and competitive while the investment questions linger in the background. [Read more 🡒]