The Cleveland Guardians, currently 61-65, are fighting for a spot in the postseason with a number of American League teams. They won on Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants, and they want to string together consecutive wins on Wednesday.
They will have to do it without first baseman/designated hitter Rhys Hoskins, though. According to an announcement made by the team on Wednesday, the veteran slugger is being placed on the injured list.
“David Fry has been recalled from Columbus and Rhys Hoskins has been placed on the 10-Day IL,” Guards Insider reported.
David Fry has been recalled from Columbus and Rhys Hoskins has been placed on the 10-Day IL.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/ShPlxl3m38
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) August 19, 2026
The official diagnosis for Hoskins is lower back inflammation. It’s unclear when exactly he suffered the injury, but we now know that the Guardians will replace him with Fry, a versatile utilityman who has failed to hit at the MLB level since his magical 2024 campaign.
Hoskins is sporting a rather mediocre .179/.306/.376 line with 13 home runs and a 95 wRC+ in 95 games. Big things were expected from him, particularly in the power department and against left-handed pitchers, but he has hit just .157 with an 81 wRC+ while facing them.
Fry has an 84 wRC+ this year in the majors, before being sent to the minor leagues. He also struggled to the tune of a 63 mark last season. He had a 129 wRC+ in 2024, when he made the All-Star team.
Fry can play first base in addition to multiple other positions around the diamond, and he is better against lefties. He fits what the Guardians wanted from Hoskins, so he gets his spot for now.
The organization decided against promoting red-hot prospect Ralphy Velazquez for now, especially knowing that once they do it, he won’t be eligible to play in the minor leagues in the event of a lockout next year.
Velazquez, for what it’s worth, is equally solid against lefties and righties. Circumstances, however, are not the best for a call-up at the moment, even though he can certainly help the ailing Guardians’ lineup.
The team will roll with Fry, who has a .294 batting average and a 171 wRC+ in eight games in Triple-A since losing his spot earlier this month.
NEXT: Insider Warns Guardians Against Rushing Top Guardians Prospect To MLB
