David Fry couldn’t be blamed if he wants to forget everything about the 2025 season. The Cleveland Guardians veteran dealt with injuries from beginning to end, including a scary incident that ended his season.
Despite that, it will also have a special place in his heart because of how the franchise treated him during that time. The 30-year-old, who has played all three of his MLB seasons for Cleveland, is reflecting on that as spring training begins.
Fry is gushing about the Guardians organization, particularly for the way they treated his family after he was hit in the face by a pitch in September.
“Our guys are so awesome, the entire clubhouse. Just the way our team took care of me and our family. It just shows how good the people are that we have running things here,” Fry said.
"It just shows how good the people are that we have kind of running things here." #Guardians David Fry is grateful the way the club rallied around him after his scary injury. Notes that Stephen Vogt and the front office threw a birthday party for his daughter as he recovered. pic.twitter.com/Q2baVPWlun
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) February 21, 2026
In a game against the Detroit Tigers, Fry was attempting to bunt when he was struck by a fastball from pitcher Tarik Skubal. He was carted off the field and did not play for the remainder of the season.
At the time, his wife was late in her pregnancy. Having to leave home to be with Fry, his oldest daughter was also about to miss out on her birthday party. However, the Guardians, led by manager Stephen Vogt, made sure she got to celebrate, even though there was a lot going on.
Earlier in the season, Fry was dealing with his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Not only was he unable to play the field, but his batting average was well under .200. Yet, Vogt praised his perseverance and leadership qualities, and he said he is anticipating his return to a more substantial role in 2026.
For his part, Fry is also looking forward to this season not having to worry about his physical status. With Cleveland’s outfield in flux, and potentially limited at-bats, it will be interesting to see where he fits in. In the first split-squad spring training game, he is being used as a DH.
Fry was the dreaded “player to be named later” when he arrived to the Guardians from the Milwaukee Brewers four years ago, but he seems to be very grateful for how things have worked out.
NEXT: Guardians Announce Lineups Ahead Of Spring Training Games
