The Cleveland Guardians will be without shortstop Gabriel Arias for a while.
He suffered a lower leg injury in the weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals and had to be carted off the field.
His official diagnosis is a left ankle sprain, and he has landed on the injured list, per an announcement from the team.
To replace him on the roster and on the field, Cleveland recalled Brayan Rocchio, who had been demoted a few weeks ago due to poor offensive play but has put up better numbers in Triple-A.
Brayan Rocchio has been recalled from Columbus.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/aB4z5GyYha
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) July 1, 2025
Rocchio is at shortstop and batting ninth in Tuesday’s lineup, which means manager Stephen Vogt is throwing him right into the fire.
Rocchio was demoted after posting a 26 wRC+ (.433 OPS) in 102 plate appearances.
No matter how good his defense is, it’s hard to justify carrying such an offensive liability on the roster for long.
Rocchio seems to have recaptured his top form in Columbus, though.
In 41 games and 188 trips to the plate for the Clippers, Rocchio put up a solid 122 wRC+ and an .837 OPS.
He also pitched in seven home runs and seven stolen bases.
Arias will be out for some time, so Rocchio will have another chance to show his worth at the MLB level.
It won’t be easy, and he probably won’t be the only name at shortstop, but he will probably get the bulk of playing time.
With Juan Brito, Angel Genao, Travis Bazzana and other middle infielders getting closer to the majors, this could be Rocchio’s last chance to secure a regular spot with the Guardians.
NEXT: Guardians Make Concerning Move In Latest Power Rankings
