The Cleveland Guardians have made a painful yet necessary decision.
Following months of struggles, they’ve finally decided to move on from Jhonkensy Noel, at least for the time being.
As reported by Zack Meisel on X, they’ve optioned him to Triple-A Columbus.
In a corresponding move, they recalled outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez, who has been on a roll lately for the Clippers.
Jhonkensy Noel to AAA
Johnathan Rodriguez up— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) June 8, 2025
He hit .324 with 32 RBI and seven home runs at Triple-A.
Rodriguez was on the team’s opening day roster, but the team chose to send him back to the minors after getting a handful of at-bats.
The 25-year-old has been quite impressive in the minors, posting a .902 OPS with 23 walks and 48 strikeouts.
He’s currently second in the team’s frame system in terms of OPS, batting average, RBIs, and hits.
Rodriguez was on a roll last month, hitting .330 with 20 RBI and eight extra-base hits in 29 appearances since May 1.
He also recorded at least one RBI in nine of his last 10 games.
He should provide a much-needed offensive punch for a Guardians outfield that has struggled to find any sort of momentum.
Noel entered the season with high expectations after his heroics in the postseason, but he couldn’t get anything going for himself.
He went hitless in two plate appearances in Saturday’s 5-3 setback to the Houston Astros.
He hit just .146 in 103 at-bats for the team and didn’t make the most of his limited opportunities.
Noel alternated starts at right field with Nolan Jones, and he posted just nine RBI, two home runs, and two doubles with three walks and 34 strikeouts in 46 games.
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