The last time Cleveland Guardians’ David Fry saw game action as a catcher was on July 23, 2024.
A few months later, in the 2024-25 offseason, Fry underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, which happens to be his throwing arm.
He worked hard to return to MLB action in 2025, and finally did on June 1st.
He was strictly limited to designated hitter duties, and since he put up a poor 63 wRC+ in 157 plate appearances, he didn’t really give the Guardians much reason to play him every day.
Fry, who had put up seasons with a 105 and a 129 wRC+, respectively, in 2023 and 2024, wasn’t in tip-top condition.
He was just a few months removed from major elbow surgery, and clearly wasn’t the same last year.
This time, he wants to prove he can be an above-average hitter, but not only that: he is eager to show he can play behind the plate without restrictions.
Sunday was a perfect day to finally unleash his arm and give the Guards another option behind the dish.
“As soon as somebody got on base,” Fry told Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, “I was like, ‘I just want to back-pick somebody. I just want to throw the ball and be back to [being] a normal catcher.’”
He did it in the second inning to Jeff McNeil of the Texas Rangers.
The runner returned to first base safely, but for Fry, it just felt good to be able to throw without limitations.
Fry, who is making a strong impression in camp despite his .167 batting average over a limited sample, stayed as the catcher for five innings and was ecstatic afterwards.
“So cool, after a long rehab process, being able to get back there,” he said.
The Guardians are expected to have three players capable of seeing time at the ever-crucial catcher position: Fry, Bo Naylor, and Austin Hedges.
It will be a healthy competition for at-bats, but Fry needs to start producing at the plate to guarantee as many innings behind it as possible.
He is now 16 months removed from the surgical procedure, and there is no time for excuses: the Guardians need Fry to return to 2024 form if they want to take over the AL Central.
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