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Injured Guardians outfielder says he is finally pain-free: Takeaways

Updated: May. 09, 2025, 8:23 p.m.|Published: May. 09, 2025, 7:32 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Injured Guardians center fielder Lane Thomas could be close to heading out on a rehab assignment, manager Stephen Vogt revealed on Friday.

Prior to the opener of Cleveland’s series against Philadelphia, Vogt said Thomas is finally pain-free after spending the last 17 days sidelined with a bruised right wrist suffered in the club’s home opener on April 8.

After a few days of conditioning, Cleveland’s medical staff will work with Thomas to determine his next steps. A rehab assignment could be in his near future.

“He just feels like he needs to get his strength back,” Vogt said. “We’re hoping if everything continues to go well over the weekend, at some point next week he’ll go out and play.”

Sunday night lights

Manager Stephen Vogt said right-hander Luis Ortiz will start Sunday’s prime-time tilt against the Phillies on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. The game is set for a 7 p.m. start.

Ortiz and Ben Lively both pitched during Tuesday’s doubleheader in Washington. Ortiz, who gets the start on regular rest, is 2-0 in three career appearances against Philly while with Pittsburgh, He has a 0.69 ERA and seven strikeouts in 13 innings against the Phillies.

Lively, who broke into the majors with Philly in 2017 and appeared in 20 games across parts of two seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, made one start against his former team last year with Cleveland, striking out six and walking a pair while allowing one run on three hits in a 9-6 Guards victory.

Good time to get the runs

The Guardians scored 31 of their 39 runs against Toronto and Washington in the sixth inning or later, including an eight-run outburst in the sixth inning on Wednesday and a six spot in the seventh during Game 1 of a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s output was Cleveland’s single-highest scoring inning of the season.

According to Elias, the road trip marked the first time that the Guardians scored 31 runs or more in the sixth inning or later over a six-game span since June 1 to June 7 of 2006 (34). Cleveland matched the late-inning production of the Cubs from earlier this season when Chicago also scored 31 runs in the sixth inning or later from March 30 to April 12.

The Guards now rank third in the American League with 83 runs scored late (sixth or later), behind the Yankees (84) and Mariners (86).

Vogt credited Cleveland’s hitters for continuing to push when they get a sense that the big inning is near.

“When we smell blood, we go,” Vogt said. “Our guys really feed off each other.”

Vogt said Cleveland’s ability to squeeze opposing relievers has also helped.

“When we get on base, we make really good things happen,” Vogt said. “That’s all we try to do. We try to get on base and then keep the line moving.”

Walk this May

Guardians hitters are tied for the major league lead in walks since May 1, joining the Reds and Mets with the most free passes in that span.

Cleveland’s 11.7% walk rate leads the AL, according to Sportradar, and is the second-highest in MLB, behind the Mets (11.9%). It is one of the reasons the Guards rank fourth in the majors in on-base percentage at .348, trailing Kansas City (.355), the Mets (.359) and Detroit (.374).

Steven Kwan, Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana lead the club with five walks apiece since the calendar turned to May. Nolan Jones and Daniel Schneemann have drawn four apiece.

Vogt said hitters such as Kwan and Santana have shown over the course of their careers that when they get behind in the count early -- even at two strikes -- they almost become better hitters.

“For me it’s the plate discipline,” Vogt said. “It’s knowing your zone. Kwannie and Santana are obviously two of the best in the game at plate discipline they have such little chase.”

Santana has drawn more than 90 walks eight times in his career, including four seasons of more than 100 free passes. Kwan has ranked in the 65th percentile or better in walk rate in each of his first three seasons.

According to Vogt, that level of success comes from knowing the strike zone, trusting your eyes and trusting your ability to extend an at-bat with contact.

“The ‘emergency exit’ of fouling something off late, maybe not everybody has that club in their bag,” Vogt said.

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Former Guardians Pitcher Has Words Of Advice For Current Staff

May 8, 2025

By Andres Chavez

The history of the Cleveland Guardians is filled with talented pitchers.

If we go back to the days in which they were known as the Indians, the pitching talent the organization has seen is considerable.

From 1990 to 2002, Charles Nagy was a big part of Cleveland’s rotation.

In 1991, he was eighth in the AL Rookie of the Year race and went on to have some really good seasons in the nineties.

He made three All-Star teams while wearing Cleveland’s uniform, and finished in the top ten of the AL Cy Young vote three times.

He recently participated in the Carlos Baerga Show with his former teammate and was asked a key question.

“Just listen to Carl Willis,” Nagy said.

What advice does former Cleveland Indians pitcher have for the current pitching staff? #GuardsBall

"Just listen to Carl Willis..."

https://x.com/i/status/1920515287440408858

Willis is widely considered one of the best pitching coaches in the game, with a flawless track record in his role since 2003, not only with the Guardians but also with other squads.

Oddly, that’s when Nagy’s playing career ended, but he is very much familiar with Willis and his talents.

Everyone in Cleveland is, not to mention the fact that Willis had been with the organization since 1997, just not as the pitching coach of the big league club.

Willis’ contributions to the city are hard to measure and put into words, because he has been directly responsible for helping multiple generations of pitchers find the best versions of themselves.

He was Cleveland’s pitching coach from 2003 until 2009, and then from 2018 to this date.

Willis is still impacting the careers of many talented hurlers to this day, so yes: the best thing a young Guardians pitcher can do is listen to what he has to say.

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By MLB.com Staff

May 9, 2025

LATEST INJURIES

OF Lane Thomas
Injury: Right wrist bone bruise
IL date: April 22 (10-day IL, retroactive to April 20)
Expected return: Mid- to late May
Status: “Pain free,” per manager Stephen Vogt. Working on getting strength back. The team is hopeful he will start a rehab assignment the week of May 12. (Last updated: May 9) More >>

OF Chase DeLauter (Guardians' No. 2 prospect, No. 33 overall)
Injury: Core muscle surgery
Expected return: Late May or early June
Status: Responding well to rehab program and has returned to full baseball activity without setbacks. Began rehab assignment in Rookie-level Arizona Complex League on May 6 (Last updated: May 9) More `>>

RHP Slade Cecconi
Injury: Left oblique strain
IL date: March 27 (15-day IL, retroactive to March 24)
Expected return: May
Status: Threw 61 pitches (43 strikes) in second rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on May 6. Allowed three runs on five hits and one walk in four innings with two K's. Set to start again May 11. (Last updated: May 6)

RHP Paul Sewald
Injury: Right posterior deltoid strain
IL date: April 29 (15-day IL)
Expected return: TBD
Status: Suffered isolated high-grade strain on April 28. Will be rechecked at two-week intervals to determine progress and readiness to begin a return-to-throw program. (Last updated: May 5)

RHP Shane Bieber
Injury: Right UCL tear
IL date: March 27 (60-day IL, retroactive to March 24)
Expected return: Midseason 2025
Status: Threw a live batting practice session at the Arizona Complex on May 2 that went well, but the righty still "has a ways to go" before game action, per manager Stephen Vogt. (Last updated: May 3)

RHP Trevor Stephan
Injury: Right UCL reconstruction surgery
IL date: March 27 (60-day IL, retroactive to March 24)
Expected return: 2025
Status: Threw live batting practice at the Arizona Complex on May 2. The next step is another live session as Stephan continues his lengthy rehab. (Last updated: May 3)

UTL David Fry
Injury: Right UCL revision
IL date: Feb. 19 (60-day IL)
Expected return: Summer 2025
Status: Projected to begin game progression in May, likely starting at Guardians’ complex in Arizona. (Last updated: April 30)

RHP Andrew Walters (Guardians’ No. 11 prospect)
Injury: Right elbow inflammation
IL date: April 22 (7-day IL)
Expected return: TBD
Status: Working through return-to-throw program and progressing well. Tentatively scheduled to return to game activity in next 10-14 days. (Last updated: April 30)

LHP John Means
Injury: Left elbow UCL surgery recovery
IL date: April 9 (60-day IL)
Expected return: Late 2025
Status: Progressing well in return-to-throw program and throwing out to 120 feet. Projected to initiate throwing bullpens in mid-May. (Last updated: April 30)

LHP Erik Sabrowski
Injury: Left elbow inflammation
IL date: March 27 (60-day IL, retroactive to March 24)
Expected return: May
Status: Currently in bullpen progression. Experienced increased soreness week of April 28, leading to break from mound activity. Has returned to throwing. Expected to resume mound activity week of May 5. (Last updated: April 30)

OF George Valera
Injury: Right patellar tendon repair
IL date: March 28 (7-day MiLB IL)
Expected return: Early 2025
Status: Responding well to current baseball activity and has progressed his defensive work and running. Anticipated to begin game progression in mid-May. (Last updated: April 30)

LHP Sam Hentges
Injury: Left shoulder surgery
IL date: Feb. 16 (60-day IL)
Expected return: 2026
Status: Progressing through post-op rehab and throwing programs as scheduled. Timeframe for full recovery from anterior capsule repair is typically 12-14 months. (Last updated: April 30)

INF/OF Juan Brito (Guardians' No. 10 prospect)
Injury: Right thumb sprain
IL date: April 24 (7-day IL)
Expected return: 8-12 weeks
Status: Suffered a high-grade ligament sprain of his right thumb on a slide. Surgery was performed April 25. Will transition to Goodyear, Ariz., to initiate a post-operative rehabilitation. (Last updated: April 26) More >>

INF Angel Genao (Guardians' No. 4 prospect, No. 60 overall)
Injury: Right shoulder sprain
Expected return: June
Status: Genao sustained a right shoulder sprain during Spring Training. He's progressed well and is focusing on light shoulder strengthening and passive mobility. (Last updated: April 1)

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Tigers, Guardians, Royals rule the American League: The week in baseball

Updated: May. 10, 2025, 12:48 p.m.|Published: May. 10, 2025, 12:30 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Last season, three AL Central teams made it to the postseason — the Guardians, Detroit and Kansas City. The baseball elite rolled their eyes, sniffed indignantly and pointed to the doormat White Sox, a member of the AL Central, as the reason why.

Since the White Sox set a modern-day record with 121 losses, they had a point.

Can they use the same reasoning this year with nearly 25% of the season in the books? Perhaps, but not to the extent of last year when a full season could be weighed and dissected.

When Saturday dawned in the AL, Detroit (26-13), the Guardians (23-15) and Kansas City (24-16) owned the top three records in the league. The Yankees (22-16), Houston (19-18), the homeless Athletics (20-19) and Red Sox (20-20) were next.

It’s not like the Tigers, Guardians and Royals have been taking turns trouncing the White Sox every other day to pad their numbers. The Royals are 4-0 and the Tigers and Guardians are 3-0 against Chicago this year. Meanwhile, preseason contenders such as Houston (1-2) and Boston (4-3) have had problems with the White Sox.

The fact is that there’s winning baseball being played in the AL Central. The Tigers, through Friday’s game, have won five straight and eight of their last 10 games. The Guardians have won three straight and eight of their last 10. The Royals have won seven straight and nine of their last 10, while the Twins have won six straight and six of their last 10 games.

The problem from the Guardians’ point of view is that as well as they’ve been playing, the Tigers are playing better. These teams met in the postseason last year with the Guardians winning a tense ALDS in five games. In the 2024 regular season, the Guardians won the season series, 7-6.




Lefty Tarik Skubal has helped the Tigers stay atop the AL Central. AP

The two teams seemed destined to run neck-and-neck this year, and so far, that’s how it has gone. They meet for the first time this season at Comerica Park for a four-game series from May 22-25. It will be a good test.

The Tigers, who have played one more game than the Guardians, own the statistical edge in several categories.

Offensively, the Tigers rank second in the AL in runs (210), batting average (.259), OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage), third in walks (139) and fourth in homers (48).

The Guardians rank sixth in runs (163), 10th in batting average (.239), sixth in OPS (.705), sixth in walks (124) and seventh in homers (45).i

From an overall pitching standpoint, the Tigers have the second lowest ERA (2.90) and batting average against (.216) in the league. They rank sixth in strikeouts (331) and 11th in walks (112).

The Guardians rank 10th in ERA (4.19) and 13th in batting average against (.260). They rank third in walks (147) and ninth in strikeouts (314).

The Tigers’ rotation, led by Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, is 18-10 with the third lowest ERA (3.20) in the league. They rank second in strikeouts (216), ninth in walks (68) and fifth in batting average against (.227).

The Guardians’ rotation, led by Tanner Bibee, is 11-12 with the 14th ranked ERA (4.54) in the league. They rank 11th in strikeouts (169), first in walks (96) and 14th in batting average against (.261).

The Tigers’ bullpen is 8-3 the lowest ERA (2.39) in the league. They rank sixth in saves (11), first in batting average against (.197), 14th in strikeouts (115), 12th in walks (44) and 15th in hits (91).

The Guardians’ bullpen is 12-3 with the ninth ranked ERA (3.72). They are tied for second in saves (13), 13th in batting average against (.258), fifth in strikeouts (145), eighth in walks (51) and third in hits (141).




Javy Baez has added versatility to the Tigers lineup by agreeing to play center field this season.AP

Detroit’s offense has been productive throughout the lineup. Spencer Torkelson, the overall No. 1 pick in 2020, has bounced back from getting optioned to Triple-A last year, and leads the team with 10 homers and 32 RBI.

Veteran Javier Baez, bouncing between the infield and center field, is hitting .308 (33 for 107) with three homers and 19 RBI after playing just 80 games last year because of injuries.

Free agent Gleyber Torres has been solid at second base, hitting .284 (29 for 102) with four homer and 20 RBI. Outfielders Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter have been productive as well. Greene is hitting .276 (35 for 127) with eight homers and 21 RBI, while Carpenter is hitting .276 (35 for 127) with eight homers and 20 RBI.

The rotation of Skubal (4-2, 2.08), Jack Flaherty (1-4, 3.79), Casey Mize (6-1, 2.53), Reese Olson (4-2, 3.03) and Jackson Jobe (2-0, 4.88) has given manager A.J. Hinch a more traditional approach than the “pitching chaos” plan he used last year to reach the postseason. The work of the rotation has helped keep the bullpen’s workload to only 128 innings. The Guardians’ pen has pitched 142 2/3 innings.

The Guardians, after 38 games last year, were 24-14 with a 1 1/2 game lead in the AL Central. They held off every challenge presented by Detroit, Kansas City and Minnesota to win the division.

This year the roles may be reversed.

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Travis Bazzana is batting .310 in May for Class AA Akron. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com


For Guardians outfield, any help in minors? – Terry Pluto’s Scribbles

Updated: May. 10, 2025, 9:42 a.m.|Published: May. 10, 2025, 6:00 a.m.

By Terry Pluto, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my Guardians notebook:

1. The Guardians are always looking for another outfielder, which is why it’s significant that C.J. Kayfus is now playing the outfield for Class AAA Columbus. Primarily a first baseman, Kayfus has been pounding the ball (.352, 1.074 OPS) this season between Class AA and AAA. A third round pick in 2023 (Miami Hurricanes), he has played only 150 minor league games (.299, .939 OPS, 24 HR), and has hit at every level. This is his first time in Class AAA (8 for 25), so it probably will be a while before he has a chance to be promoted.

2. Cleveland right fielders are batting a combined .168 (lowest in MLB) with a .545 OPS (28th out of 30 teams). They have four HR and 16 RBI. That is mostly the platoon of Jhonkensy Noel and Nolan Jones. Noel is batting .174 (.484 OPS) with two HR and nine RBI. He’s supposed to hit lefties, but he’s only 4 for 30 (.133) against them.

3. Nolan Jones is hitting .163 (.589 OPS) with two HR and six RBI. The Guardians have some stats showing he’s hit the ball hard and hitting in some bad luck. They appear to be willing to be patient with Jones, who is out of minor league options.

4. The immediate Class AAA outfield option is Will Brennan, who is hitting .307 (.767 OPS). The problem with Brennan is his struggles vs. lefties. He is 4 for 23 vs. lefties at Columbus. For his big league career, he’s a .192 hitter (.453 OPS) vs. lefties. It’s .284 (.727 OPS) vs. righties.

5. Lane Thomas is starting to come back from his wrist injury. He’s not game-ready yet. But one way to fix the outfield is Thomas takes over in right field with Angel Martinez staying in center. Martinez (.313) has been terrific since being recalled from Class AAA early in the season. Steven Kwan remains an All-Star in left field.




Will Brennan is batting .307 for Class AAA Columbus. Josh Gunter, cleveland.com

6. Remember when the Guardians traded Eli Morgan to the Cubs? Morgan is on the injured list with arm problems. He had a 12.27 ERA in seven games. The reason for the note is Cleveland received outfielder Alfonsin Rosario in that deal. The 20-year-old Rosario is batting .290 (.863 OPS) with five HR and 17 RBI at Class A Lake County. He’s a promising prospect.

7. The best early season story for the Guardians is Gabriel Arias. He’s hitting .287 (.791 OPS) with four HR and 16 RBI. In his last 50 at-bats, he’s a .300 hitter. The Guardians were patient with him, giving him another shot this spring. He looks ready to take over at shortstop. He’s excellent at any infield position.

8. Not sure what happened to Brayan Rocchio, who went into the weekend in a 4 for 41 slump. On the season, he’s batting .165 (.433 OPS). Very alarming is his six errors in 35 games at shortstop. He had only 12 errors in 142 games last season.

9. I believe had Juan Brito not broken his thumb, Rocchio would be sent to the minors. Brito would be recalled and playing second base – with Arias at shortstop. Brito was batting .291 (.897 OPS) when he was injured.




Gabriel Arias has been one of the best surprises for the Guardians this season. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com

10. After a slow start for Class AA Akron, Travis Bazzana is hitting .310 in May. The top pick in the 2025 draft is batting .256 (.795) for the season. A lefty hitter, he is 4 for 29 vs. lefties. That’s odd given Bazzana hit them well in college. The second baseman has only 250 minor league career plate appearances. Former Cleveland manager Terry Francona often said most players need 1,200 to 1,500 minor league at-bats to be big league ready. Elite prospects can come up faster, but most need at least 800-1,000 at-bats.

11. Remember Oscar Gonzalez? He’s with San Diego, but not sure for how long. He’s 13 for 59 (.220) with zero homers. I’ve always had a soft spot for SpongeBob, the hero of the 2022 season.

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No mention of Jonathan Rodriguez.

He's had a great track record in the minor leagues and in winter ball. I really don't understand what Vogt and the organization has against the guy. They have basically robbed Rodriguez of a shot at a big league opportunity with another team by not trading him.

Major League Baseball Career: 17! 36! 17, The amount of major league appearances (Not all starts). 36, The number of major league AB.

He's been the #1 minor league player for the Guardians the past few years. What's a guy have to do to get the opportunity??

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No mention of Jonathan Rodriguez.

He's had a great track record in the minor leagues and in winter ball. I really don't understand what Vogt and the organization has against the guy. They have basically robbed Rodriguez of a shot at a big league opportunity with another team by not trading him.

He strikes out too much; analytics say he's ineffective against offspeed stuff. I like him too enough to give him an opportunity especially with the minor contributions made by Noel since Sept 1 2024. If there were a market for JRod you can be sure he would have been traded; they're going to give him away.
JRod has never appeared on Cle Top 10 prospect lists.