In the third inning of Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias gave his organization and fans a huge scare.
Trying to make a play, he twisted his ankle and stayed on the ground for several minutes, clearly in pain.
He had to be replaced by Daniel Schneemann and was sent for X-rays.
It had the look of a fractured ankle, which would have ended his season.
Instead, Cleveland appears to have dodged a bullet, as Arias was diagnosed with a sprained ankle.
“The Guardians announced Gabriel Arias has a sprained left ankle. X-rays were negative. It looked worse when he had to be taken from the field on an equipment cart,” News-Herald reporter Jeff Schudel posted on X.
The #Guardians announced Gabriel Arias has a sprained left ankle. X-rays were negative. it looked worse when he had to be taken from the field on an equipment cart. #Cardinals 3, Guardians 0 top of the sixth, two outs, ma on third for St. Louis.
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) June 29, 2025
Those who were present imagined the worst after looking at the play and how much pain he was in.
An ankle sprain can be serious, though, and this will likely force him to miss a few weeks.
However, because there is no fracture, he should be able to return before the end of the season.
Yet, waiting for the team’s official timeline would be a wise idea.
After a hot start, Arias’ performance had been getting worse with each passing week.
He is hitting .231 with an 87 wRC+, 17 doubles, six home runs and 18 walks against 88 strikeouts.
Now, the Guardians will need to come up with a plan to replace him on the roster.
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