Just a few hours ago, we were all talking about how Cleveland Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias survived the post-deadline roster crunch, with multiple other players going down to Triple-A. On Wednesday, however, the situation can change.
According to multiple reports, Guardians top prospect Angel Genao will be called up and make his MLB debut on Wednesday. To make that happen, however, there needs to be a roster move.
Arias doesn’t have any more minor league options left, so to remove him from the roster, he needs to be placed on waivers, and the organization risks losing him. The other alternative is even worse, as analyst Ken Carman explains.
“Today could be a very big day for the Cleveland Guardians. Either [Angel Genao] is replacing Gabby Arias or he’s replacing somebody very, very iconic going to the IL again. It’s not a glorious day for the Guardians if Gabby Arias goes away and Angel Genao comes up, but I know you may think it’s glorious that they’ve still invested in the guy, and it’s not paying out. No, he hasn’t [invested back in trying],” Carman said.
"Today could be a very big day for the Cleveland Guardians. Either (Angle Genao) is replacing Gabby Arias…or he's replacing somebody very, very iconic going to the IL, again."
➡️ @KenCarman and @SportsBoyTony discuss the #Guardians calling up Angel Genao and what it could… pic.twitter.com/9INW6COq3n
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) August 5, 2026
The iconic player Carman is talking about is Jose Ramirez, who wasn’t in Tuesday’s lineup with soreness in his surgically repaired left wrist. J-Ram broke his hamate bone on June 13 and had to go under the knife, so seeing him complain of inflammation when the organization thought the injury was a thing of the past is definitely not good.
Genao is coming up, and he is coming up to play. That’s the logical thing to assume. With that in mind, and every other infield position taken, it’s safe to assume that it’s going to be either Arias losing his spot in the organization (unless he somehow goes unclaimed and agrees to return to Triple-A) or Ramirez returning to the injured list.
If it’s the latter, it could be a brutal blow for a Guardians team that just had a very solid deadline. The team, fans, and media can’t do anything but wait for official confirmation on who will be leaving the roster to make room for Genao.
It could very well be Arias, who has an 85 wRC+ this year, leaving, but the feeling is that Ramirez’s situation is concerning. Stay tuned.
NEXT: One Guardians Trade Deadline Move Earns Nod Among Best
