12:54PM: The Guardians also announced that right-hander Andrew Walters has been placed on the 15-day IL due to a right lat strain, and righty Nic Enright was called up from Triple-A. Walters has spent much of the season in Columbus, and was only called up to Cleveland earlier this week to make two appearances before hitting the injured list.
12:22PM: David Fry is ready to make his 2025 debut, as the Guardians announced that the utilityman has been activated from the 60-day injured list. Right-hander Cody Bolton was designated for assignment in the corresponding 40-man roster move, and space on the 26-man roster was already open since Cleveland placed outfielder Lane Thomas on the 10-day IL yesterday (retroactive to May 27) due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
After undergoing elbow surgery back in November, Fry needed some extra time to fully recover, hence his season-opening stint on the Guardians’ 60-day IL. He’ll return strictly as a designated hitter, as he still isn’t able to throw in the wake of his surgery. Losing Fry’s defensive versatility is a blow, as he is the rare catcher that can also contribute at several places on the diamond — he saw action at both corner infield and corner outfield spots in 2025, with first base his primary position even moreso than his part-time work behind the plate.
Fry hit .263/.356/.448 with 14 home runs over 392 plate appearances last season, and his 129 wRC+ was topped only by Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan amongst Cleveland hitters. The offensively-challenged Guardians would love to have that kind of production from Fry back in their lineup, even if his return and DH-only status does create a bit of a positional logjam.
Carlos Santana and Kyle Manzardo have split first base duties this season, with the other usually DH’ing when the other is at the cold corner. Santana has played pretty much every day while the left-handed hitting Manzardo has been mostly shielded from facing southpaws. This likely means that Manzardo will be the biggest reduction in his playing time, though manager Stephen Vogt can get creative in finding at-bats for all of Santana, Manzardo, and Fry.
It is a bit of an unfortunate issue for the Guardians that they’re facing this juggle of playing time for three productive hitters, while dealing with much less production from other spots in the lineup. The outfield again has been a weak link apart from Kwan, though Angel Martinez has recently been on a hot streak and bidding for a more regular role.
Thomas in particular has struggled badly, with only a .119/.169/.136 slash line to show for 65 plate appearances. The outfielder hasn’t had much time to really get on track after his ice-cold start, as a bone bruise in his right wrist sent Thomas to the injured list for a month, and he is only a little over a week removed from his activation from that prior IL visit.
Given the lingering nature of plantar fasciitis, the question Thomas and the Guardians are facing is exactly how long this latest IL stint will be, as Cleveland’s outfield depth chart is now even thinner. With Will Brennan also on the injured list, Martinez, Nolan Jones, and Jhonkensy Noel will have to cover two outfield positions while Kwan is naturally locked into his usual spot in left field.
Bolton was acquired from the Mariners in early April, and he was recalled from Triple-A Columbus for one cup of coffee in the majors (a two-inning relief appearance in Cleveland’s 11-1 loss to Minnesota on April 28) before being sent back down the next day. The right-hander has a career 5.79 ERA over 42 innings with the Pirates, Mariners, and Guardians over the last three seasons, but also a 3.42 ERA in 157 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball. Breaking into the Guards’ deep bullpen may have always been a tall order for Bolton, but a team in need of swingman depth might be interested in putting in a waiver claim.
Lane Thomas carving himself out a lost year mostly due to injury just ahead of free agency. Fry can only DH and PH the rest of the year while his arm recovers. This team needs Fry’s bat in the lineup, so I assume he will DH, Sanatana at 1B, and Manzardo to RF?
He might be a platoon DH
Of the two, Santana is probably more likely to see time in the OF. He’s actually played there in the majors a couple of years ago. Manzardo never has, and if you’d ever seen him run you’d likely say he probably never should. Santana also notably has a really strong throwing arm – he started at 3B and then catcher – which would give him some tools in RF that Manzardo doesn’t have.
Further compounding this problem is that their top hitter in AAA right now is CJ Kayfus, a 1B. He’s played a little outfield but reports are not exactly encouraging about his defense.
39 year old Carlos Santana is not likely to see much, if any time in the grass. Vogt will likely play the match ups with Manzardo and Fry while giving Santana regular rest in-between
The team awaits Chase DeLauter in RF. If he stays healthy, that is. Should be mid to late June. He wouldn’t play too often given his fragile health. Maybe move Jones occasionally to CF. But no Santana or Manzardo anywhere but 1B or DH. Kayfus prob has to wait until after Santana’s departure. He’s really kicked it up lately.
Santana could barely play right field when he was 30-31. Putting him in right field at 39 when he’s seen a single inning in the outfield since 2017 would probably be an utter disaster.
@mlb1225
All of that is true, and it’s *still* more likely he would go there before Manzardo.
Fry bats RH.
Manzardo bats LH.
Santana is a switch hitter.
Players get hurt, sometimes need rest.
What’s the big deal?
Small market teams ignore depth charts. All 13 position players that are on the roster and show up for a game have a good chance of getting in it. If the team is getting blown out by the opposition, one or more of the position players might even be asked to pitch. This is MLB today.
It is difficult to imagine Manzardo in the OF.
No word on a replacement for reliever Andrew Walters, who left last nights game in obvious pain.
Nic Enright
Michael is singing Cody’s praises.
How can they start over when the fighting never ends…
Plantar Fasciitis is no joke and Thomas may miss a good chunk of the season and be unproductive the rest of the time he is out there