3:20pm: Manager Terry Francona tells reporters that an MRI indeed revealed a strained oblique for Naylor (link via Lewis). The team has placed a tentative timetable of three to six weeks on his recovery, but he’ll be evaluated weekly to see if that timeline changes. If it proves to be on the longer end of that recovery window, Naylor would miss the majority of the remaining season.
1:50pm: The Guardians on Friday placed first baseman Josh Naylor and infielder Tyler Freeman on the injured list, tweets Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Cleveland also called up infielder Jose Tena and acquired veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun from the Dodgers in exchange for cash. He’s been selected to the Major League roster. Calhoun was eligible to be traded by virtue of the fact that has not been on a 40-man roster or Major League injured list this season. (You can read more about how to acquire players after the trade deadline here.)
Naylor was scratched from the lineup earlier this week due to an oblique injury and is now sidelined at least 10 days — though even Grade 1 oblique strains can often sideline a player up to a month. The 28-year-old has been enjoying a breakout season, slashing .306/.346/.500 with 15 home runs, 25 doubles and six steals. Naylor looked like a lock to set new career-highs in homers and doubles, topping last season’s respective personal records of 20 and 28. It remains to be seen just how long he’ll be sidelined, but so long as he doesn’t face a lengthy stay on the IL, he still appears in good position to do so. Either way, his excellent production will give him a notable raise over this year’s $3.35MM salary.
Freeman, 24, has yet to receive a chance to settle into a regular role in Cleveland despite long ranking as one of the system’s top prospects. He’s an advanced hitter who’s lacking power but is touted for his excellent contact skills and hit tool. He’s punched out in just 13.8% of his big league plate appearances and is batting .286/.344/.357 in 95 plate appearances this year. The trade of Amed Rosario opened up some additional reps in the Cleveland infield, but Freeman’s shoulder strain will deprive him of further opportunities for the time being.
The veteran Calhoun, 35, was in spring training with the Mariners and has since signed minor league deals with the Yankees and Dodgers. None of those clubs gave the former Angels All-Star a look in the Majors, despite Calhoun doing his best to force the issue. Though he’s struggled to a .208/.269/.343 batting line over the past two big league seasons, Calhoun has posted terrific numbers in Triple-A this season, slashing .297/.376/.530 in 266 plate appearances. He’s swatted nine homers, 17 doubles and five triples — all while walking in just over 10% of his plate appearances and striking out at a lower-than-average 18% clip.
Tena will make his big league debut when he first takes the field. He’s not as touted as some of the Guardians’ other young middle infield but is still a prospect of some note. The 22-year-old had just been bumped up for his Triple-A debut (during which he went 1-for-3 with a double) after hitting .260/.353/.370 in 362 Double-A plate appearances. That stop in Columbus will prove little more than a layover en route to Cleveland. Baseball America ranks Tena 14th among Cleveland prospects, crediting him with an above-average hit tool and speed but below average power. He’s a versatile defender who can capably play any of shortstop, second base or third base.
Lots of love for the Red Baron. Hope he gets some MLB time again.
This is the kinda crap the front office was doing in 1989. So our deadline acquisitions at the major league level turn out to be Syndergaard and Calhoun? Yeah, the white flag is officially flying proud at Progressive Field.
Lucky they got another LH hitter, uh? TWO of them!
More teams calling up LH pitchers when playing a series against Cleveland.
The team can’t seem to score runs. Imagine that! A so-called contender that’s currently 26th in MLB in runs scored.
Yeah fair to be frustrated when your team has a chance to win the division and they don’t do much of anything. Twins heck they didn’t do much either.
The Twins already shot themselves in the foot multiple times last summer—decided not to trade away more guys and watch them crush it elsewhere/
Well, the 1989 team eventually turned into a team that went to the World Series twice. If we are trading this year for two more shots at the ring, I’m ok with it.
Were there any players moved at the deadline that you’d want the FO to be in on? From the offensive side, nobody really struck me as “oh, I wish we got him”.
I prefer to get a look at some of these young guys over trading for Randy Grichuk.
The Civale trade stings a bit, especially given all the uncertainty in the rotation for the rest of the year.
This Guardian lineup that they’re trotting out every night is downright disrespectful to a team that considers itself a playoff contender. Jose Ramirez wishes he jumped ship when he could.
He won’t, just gave a house discount to the INDIANS ownership.
Wow gotta capitalize “Indians”, eh? Edgy, emphatic point you made to be racist there. Imagine being mad at a name change of a major league team because of an entire race and culture deeming it offensive to them. Poor excuse for a human.
Sorry. Most American Indians had no problem with the name.
They will always be the INDIANS to me and I will continue to wear my Indians garb
Yes wear your ignorance proudly
Thank you. !!!
Yes I do as long with many many other Cleveland Indians Guards fans
No he doesn’t.
According to milb.com, Calhoun this year in 232ab in minors: 9hr, 46rbi, .297avg, .906ops
Calhoun was mashing at AAA this year but isn’t everybody mashing at AAA this season? The last time he was any good in the bigs was 2020 and he’s 35 now. But as usual, Cleveland figures anybody can play in their lineup and the pitchers will still get them to the postseason. Who knows, they may be right. It’s not like the Twins are a juggernaut.
Their top three pitchers are on the IR.
If this takes at bats away from Spongebob, I’m going to be even grumpier.
The .906 ops at AAA looks promising at least!
Why? May as well play their young guys.
Git-R-Done!
Under pressure FO felt they had to obtain a veteran bat. But they also need a player who knows how to use it.
It couldn’t of happened at a better time now that they’ve gotten rid of Rosario and Bell.
Rosario had no future after this year in Cleveland plus bell hitting like crag this year. . I will admit I thought good signing
Rather see kids out there then those 2 players
Perhaps in hindsight trading Bell was a bad idea…
Honestly I think they still would have done it. They knew he was opting in next year and didn’t want to pay him, so I think someone willing to take on his money was enough for them unless they also really liked Kahlil Watson.
Watson was a top 100 player in the minors heading into the 22 season. Sounds like he had some issues. Maybe change of franchises can help him
Yeah he’s had some maturity issues and hasn’t really hit well his first two years in the minors, but I don’t blame them at all for taking a shot on him. He already homered in his first game with their high A affiliate.
Bell wasn’t *bad* but he obviously wasn’t good enough so them saving a little money and opening a roster spot was nice but taking a free chance on a former top prospect was definitely worth it.
Bad as far as a vet to bring in to play 1st and dh. And pay over 15 million
Well it only saved them about half of Bell’s deal with eating Segura’s bad money. They’ve obviously moved onto Manzardo for next season and they get a free roll on Watson.
Yeah but they still saved money on Segura so I think they were willing to dump him altogether if it saved them some money
Bell just wasn’t hitting with Cleveland. It’s so tough to have a guy with no defensive value and isn’t getting it done with the bat.
Small correction but Tena did play a few games in AAA at the end of last year so this year wasn’t his first time there
Expect Manzardo call up as soon as he comes off the IL.
He’s been out for about month and wasn’t really doing well at AAA before the injury. He’s probably going to have to mash at AAA for a few weeks to get a call up this season.
It’s hard to take the AL Central seriously. If the Twins were not the division leader, the entire division would make up the bottom of the Wild Card rankings, except for Oakland in last place. That’s how bad they are.
Simply put, Naylor needs to get into better shape. Especially if they are considering a move to the OF to make room for the 1B prospects they just traded for. It’s yo job!