The Cleveland Guardians will play their home opener on Friday afternoon against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Fans will get to enjoy a new year of ‘GuardsBall’, new vibes, and even new food.
The Cubs are a tough opponent, as the early-season calendar continues to test the Guardians’ resolve: they have already played road series with the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs are up next, but at least it will be in front of Cleveland fans.
In the Guardians’ home opener lineup, there is a name that will surely bring a smile to fans’ faces: Chase DeLauter. The young slugger, however, won’t be returning to his regular right field duties just yet.
“Chase DeLauter back in the lineup DH’ing. Angel Martinez will take over in right,” team insider Mason Horodyski posted on X.
The first home lineup of the season for the #Guardians is here:
Chase DeLauter back in the lineup DH’ing. Angel Martinez will take over in right.#GuardsBall x @WEWS https://t.co/SnGy7RVlPo
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) April 3, 2026
DeLauter was replaced by CJ Kayfus in right field after fouling a ball off his left foot on Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers. He didn’t play on Wednesday, but he dodged a bullet and a trip to the injured list.
He appears in the lineup spot in which he has been so successful in the early going, second, right between leadoff hitter Steven Kwan and the most productive hitter on the team, Jose Ramirez.
DeLauter started the season firing on all cylinders, hitting four home runs in the first three games. He is currently the owner of an .818 slugging percentage and a 1.123 OPS, showing the world the kind of power potential this franchise hasn’t seen in a while.
Cleveland hasn’t been this excited about a rookie since the Francisco Lindor days, and that’s saying a lot. We are not saying DeLauter will follow the same career path as the shortstop, but there might be 25 or 30 home runs in his left-handed bat with a solid average and impressive on-base skills.
DeLauter’s presence in the home opener lineup helps alleviate some fears associated with his injury history in the minor leagues. From this moment forward, it’s time to focus on baseball again and not on the trainer’s table.
NEXT: Guardians Executive Reveals When Travis Bazzana Might Get Called Up
