The Cleveland Guardians are starting an important series against the Minnesota Twins.
Gavin Williams will be the starting pitcher for the Guardians as they try to get closer to the AL Central leaders, the Detroit Tigers.
Cleveland got some excellent news ahead of the contest.
Manager Stephen Vogt made the lineup, and Gabriel Arias is batting sixth and playing second base, via the team on X.
Rig day.#GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/oCAIDO2bFK
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) April 28, 2025
Arias started both games of a recent doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox.
He played the entire first game but had to leave the nightcap with what the team deemed as left hip irritation.
All parties expressed optimism that Arias would be back in the lineup soon.
He missed another game, not even entering as a defensive replacement or pinch hitter.
Now, Arias is making his return, so he and the Guardians dodged a bullet.
Arias has blossomed into a reliable contributor this year, posting an .800 OPS as the starting second baseman most nights.
He has been an unexpected source of power, with five doubles, four home runs and a .481 slugging percentage.
It has taken some time for Arias to hit his stride, and it would have been a shame if he had to miss significant time with an injury.
That won’t be happening, at least not in this case.
Nolan Jones is again second in the lineup, and Vogt is giving young outfielder Jhonkensy Noel another chance.
NEXT: Guardians Surprisingly Option Key Reliever To Triple-A
