Ralphy Velazquez has been out of the Triple-A Columbus lineup since Sept. 6, and the Guardians say the power-hitting prospect is dealing with lingering lower body soreness.
“Ralphy has had an incredible season,” said Matt Foreman, the Guardians’ assistant GM who is on the trip. “He’s dealing with some lingering lower body soreness. At this point, he’s day to day.
“We’re hopeful he’ll be back in the lineup soon.”
Foreman said the issue is not considered serious, but Cleveland also isn’t interested in pushing Velazquez this late in the year. Columbus’ season ends Sept. 20.
On Friday, Velazquez was listed as a bench player in Columbus’ box score. The 21-year-old began the season at Double-A Akron before moving up to Triple-A Columbus, and he has put together a big year at the plate: .298 with 130 hits in 419 at-bats, plus 29 homers and 90 RBI in 117 games.
The Guardians selected Velazquez with their No. 1 pick in 2023 out of Huntington Beach (Calif.) High School.
His status in the organization has also been shaped by the MLB labor picture. The club did not add him to the 40-man roster or call him up to Cleveland, in part because the basic agreement expires Dec.
- If owners lock out players and that work stoppage stretches into next season, anyone on the 40-man roster would be unable to play.
Minor leaguers, as long as they are not on the 40-man, would still be eligible.
There was other injury news around the Guardians as well. Manager Stephen Vogt said right-hander Shawn Armstrong, who is dealing with a left calf injury, was set for a rehab outing Friday with Columbus.
Vogt also said right-hander Colin Holderman, who has a right wrist issue, threw a bullpen session Friday at Progressive Field, while first baseman Rhys Hoskins, sidelined by back trouble, has begun a “return to swing program.”
In Other News...
Lane Thomas Is Giving Braves Fans A Familiar Guardians Headache
Lane Thomas has already created a few familiar uneasy moments for the Guardians since landing with the Braves at the deadline, even before this latest setback. Atlanta put him on the 15-day injured list with a left intercostal strain, an injury that was backdated to Tuesday after he had been scratched from a game earlier in the day. The move adds another layer to a stretch that has not gone smoothly since the deal, with Thomas still searching for consistency at the plate.
For Cleveland, the timing is notable because Thomas was exactly the kind of late-season bat the Braves hoped would change their look. Instead, the early returns have been uneven, and now the injury puts another pause on whatever momentum he was trying to build. It leaves Atlanta waiting to see when he can return and whether there is still time for the trade to pay off the way it was intended. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Need Daniel Schneemann In A New Late-Season Role
Daniel Schneemann has already built a reputation as one of the most movable pieces on the Guardians roster, having spent time at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots during his MLB career. Since being recalled to the majors, he has added another layer to that versatility by getting work at first base, a detail that fits neatly with the way Cleveland has leaned on flexibility all season.
Stephen Vogt has not shut the door on using Schneemann there in an emergency, and not just as a patchwork answer if the position suddenly thins out. For a club trying to squeeze value out of every roster spot late in the year, that kind of extra option can matter, especially when one more move could help a lineup stay intact without forcing the Guardians to reshuffle everything else around it. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Pulled Off A Wild Card Win Twins Fans Wont Like
Taj Bradley gave the Twins exactly what they needed for most of the night at Target Field, carving through the Cleveland lineup with six scoreless innings and keeping Minnesota in position to salvage a tense game. But the Guardians have spent much of this season hanging around the Wild Card chase, and this one turned on the kind of late swing that has a way of reshaping standings in a hurry.
Cleveland left with a 5-2 win, a boost to 75-73 and a better seat in the postseason picture, thanks to a seventh-inning breakthrough and a bullpen that finished the job. For the Twins, it was the sort of loss that stings beyond one night, because a strong start was there and the result still slipped away once the game moved into the later innings. [Read more 🡒]