Stayin’ alive. That’s what the Cleveland Guardians will be trying to do for the next few weeks, as they are set to be without Jose Ramirez, Angel Martinez, and Chase DeLauter for a long spell.
The Guardians need to be creative. Calling up Cooper Ingle is definitely in play, and going to the trade market is another option. However, there’s enough talent in-house to think they have what it takes to at least be competitive until the three stars return.
Even if they scored ‘just’ four runs, Thursday’s victory in Milwaukee meant a lot for the Guardians. They were able to hit three balls out of the park, so yes: the power is there. It’s just a matter of being more consistent.
Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga believes that the organization needs to get some help from a few specific hitters if they want to remain afloat.
“They need to keep getting contributions from guys like Kyle Manzardo, Travis Bazzana. I think a big key guy there, a guy who’s gonna get a lot more playing time now, is David Fry. This is a guy who can give you a little pop, plus he can play multiple positions,” Noga said.
"They need to keep getting contributions from guys like Kyle Manzardo… A guy who's gonna get a lot more playing time now is David Fry. This is a guy who can give you a little pop, can play multiple positions."
📞@JoeNogaCLE on how the Guardians can stay alive despite injuries pic.twitter.com/J0ShDNH1US
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) June 19, 2026
Manzardo was a complete and utter failure for weeks to open the season, but has steadily gotten better and is now sporting an above-average 108 wRC+ with eight round-trippers. He is up to 25 runs scored and 23 RBI, which doesn’t seem like much, but considering how difficult the early stages of the year were for him, it feels like a win. He had a 132 wRC+ in May and is at a brilliant 189 in June.
Bazzana appears to be catching fire again after a bit of a cold stretch, and boasts an 118 wRC+ in his rookie season. Fry mainly plays against lefties, but has an 110 wRC+ and four homers in the year.
Remember: Fry was an All-Star in 2024, before the injury that led to his Tommy John surgery. It’s not a bad idea to test his resolve with some extra playing time to see if he can handle it without losing effectiveness.
Brayan Rocchio is another name to watch, widely expected to take his game up a notch to help pick up the slack in the middle of the injury crisis.
The Guardians have the personnel to at least try to stay afloat these next few weeks. Whether they play well during that stretch remains to be seen.
NEXT: Bruce Drennan Sends A Strong Message To Guardians
