The Cleveland Guardians are trying to find the right mix of young and veteran hitters in their offense.
That quest has mostly failed this year, but there is still a lot of ball to play.
While searching for the best possible personnel to face MLB pitchers, the Guardians demoted struggling outfielder Jhonkensy Noel on June 8.
The move was long overdue, as he was putting up an ugly 4 wRC+.
That’s 96 percent worse than the league average.
He was, plain and simple, one of the worst players in the league at the time of his demotion.
Some unexpected (and unwanted) circumstances have made the Guardians recall him ahead of the new week, though.
We’ve made a move ahead of tonight’s game.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/FOoLGRNK8M
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) July 7, 2025
Noel is now on the MLB roster, and Kyle Manzardo, who has provided solid if unspectacular offensive production, will be away for a few days as he deals with a family issue.
Our best wishes are with Manzardo and his loved ones, and the same can be said about Guardians fans.
It might be just for a few days, but Noel has a chance to prove he belongs in the majors.
After being sent down to Columbus a month ago, he posted a cool .280/.343/.538 line with five homers and a 131 wRC+ in 24 games.
His 2025 MLB struggles are not only disappointing but also completely unexpected.
He was an asset last year with a 118 wRC+ and 13 round-trippers in limited time.
He was excellent against lefties with a 166 wRC+ in 2024.
This year, he is at a -26 wRC+ vs. them so far.
Maybe he can turn a few games of production into a longer look.
It will mostly depend on him.
NEXT: Guardians Reporter Proposes Hypothetical Emmanuel Clase Trade
