The Cleveland Guardians are set to play a doubleheader on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs. They are already at the top of the AL Central, but a sweep could leave them in a very good position heading into next week.
Their pitching staff has been excellent, and Chase DeLauter is carrying the offense, but make no mistake: they could really use a young, powerful outfielder like George Valera.
The rookie has been dealing with a mild left calf strain since spring training. As a result, Cleveland took the safe route and placed him on the injured list to begin the season.
The injury was never considered overly serious, but calf strains are notoriously tricky, and if they aren’t 100 percent healed, re-aggravations can occur. Valera is past the discomfort phase and is now getting at-bats and reps in the minor leagues to prepare him for the season.
Still, his return isn’t imminent, according to what Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told the media on Saturday.
“We want to see George get built up to play five, six days a week. It’s gonna be a little more time with George,” Guardians insider Mason Horodyski posted on X with Vogt’s words on his outfielder.
"We want to see George get built up to play five, six days a week"#Guardians Stephen Vogt on what the team wants to see out of George Valera in his rehab assignments before returning to Cleveland.
"Its gonna be a little more time with George"#GuardsBall @WEWS https://t.co/Ty4iGG5mFU pic.twitter.com/33io200PlX
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 4, 2026
The Guardians don’t want Valera to get up to speed in the majors and perhaps cost the team a win or two. They want to bring him up when he’s ready to assume the workload of a regular, and he’s not there yet.
He has played just three games for the Columbus Clippers in Triple-A, and he has logged four hits, including a double and a home run. On Saturday, he went 3-for-3 with the two-bagger, a walk, and an RBI.
Valera’s offensive ability is not in question. He earned a promotion to the majors last year after posting a 114 wRC+ in Triple-A. At the MLB level, he played 16 games and homered twice, putting up a solid 113 wRC+.
He needs to test out that calf with an everyday workload, and that’s what Vogt wants to see before deciding to give him a spot on the Guardians’ 26-man roster.
NEXT: Hunter Gaddis Rejoins Guardians Ahead Of Sunday's Doubleheader
