The Cleveland Guardians managed to win a thriller on Friday night, 10-8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The victory could have been costly, though.
First baseman and top slugger Josh Naylor had to leave the game after injuring his left ankle.
Fans, of course, were terrified of potentially losing one of their best batters for an extended period of time.
The Guards, however, appear to have dodged a bullet.
Their manager Stephen Vogt talked about Naylor’s injury and described it as a bone bruise, ruling out structural damage.
“Stephen Vogt provides an update on Josh Naylor, confirming there is no structural damage and he suffered a bone bruise on his ankle. He also credits Clase for his hard work and success, and said tonight belongs to him,” Bally Sports Cleveland posted on X, with Vogt’s remarks.
Stephen Vogt provides an update on Josh Naylor, confirming there is no structural damage and he suffered a bone bruise on his ankle.
He also credits Clase for his hard work and success, and said tonight belongs to him. #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/RKcQQKaxpT
— Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) August 31, 2024
Naylor is streaky, yes, but has hit a career-high 28 home runs and boasts a solid .240/.322/.464 line with a .786 OPS.
Apart from Jose Ramirez, he is the only true, bonafide power threat in the middle of the Guardians lineup and losing him would have severely affected the team’s run production.
The fact he avoided structural damage is not a guarantee that he won’t miss a game or two, because he did roll his ankle and had to be helped off the field.
But Cleveland will gladly trade a couple of games for a couple of weeks or months.
We should know more about how much time Naylor will miss, if any, this weekend, when Vogt posts the lineup for Saturday’s contest.
NEXT: Guardians Top Pirates In Historic Night For Emmanuel Clase
