The Cleveland Guardians are coming off a spring training 8-6 loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.
Not that spring training standings are all that important, but they are 10th out of 15 teams in the Cactus League with a 2-3 record so far.
Getting their players in tip-top shape and avoiding major injuries in the process is much more important than the spring’s win-loss record.
On that note, the Guardians have a few players banged up, most notably Trevor Stephan and his deep bone bruise in his pitching elbow.
Team insider Paul Hoynes provided updates on three other Guardians, all of which figure to be part of the Opening Day lineup/rotation.
“Bo Naylor, out with back spasms since Monday, was cleared to catch Triston McKenzie’s sim game Thursday. Myles Straw, trying to keep his CF job, not practicing because of a viral infection. Shane Bieber makes ST debut Sat. vs. KC,” he tweeted.
Bo Naylor, out with back spasms since Monday, was cleared to catch Triston McKenzie's sim game Thursday. Myles Straw, trying to keep his CF job, not practicing because of a viral infection. Shane Bieber makes ST debut Sat. vs. KC.
— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) February 29, 2024
Back spasms aren’t an overly big deal if managed correctly, so the team had the younger Naylor brother resting since Monday.
He is now good to go and will catch another injury-prone member of the rotation, Triston McKenzie.
As Hoynes states, Straw is playing for his center field starting job this spring.
Unfortunately for his case, he has been slowed down by a viral infection.
He should be back soon depending on how his body recovers.
Last, but not least, Bieber will be making his first spring training appearance on Saturday against the much improved Kansas City Royals.
Since he wasn’t traded, he will be a valuable member of the rotation.
NEXT: Jose Ramirez Tops Elite 2024 List
