The Cleveland Guardians will be without their star left fielder and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan for at least a few games.
Kwan, who is hitting .353/.407/.496 with three home runs, three stolen bases and a .903 OPS, hurt his left hamstring while making a defensive play on Saturday.
He had to leave that game and didn’t play on Sunday.
An MRI confirmed an injury, so the Guardians will place him on the 10-day injured list.
Since the team still hasn’t made anything official, nobody knows how long Kwan will be out.
His replacement, however, will surely bring excitement to Guardians fans.
“Kyle Manzardo is expected to be called up tomorrow. Steven Kwan will head to the IL, per sources,” Guards insider Mandy Bell tweeted.
Kyle Manzardo is expected to be called up tomorrow. Steven Kwan will head to the IL, per sources.
— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) May 5, 2024
Cleveland supporters had been waiting for Manzardo to be called up for weeks.
He came to the organization ahead of last year’s trade deadline, in the Aaron Civale transaction with the Tampa Bay Rays.
He has been ready for a while, and is having an amazing season in Triple-A Columbus.
In 29 games and 128 plate appearances, the lefty-hitting first baseman is slashing an incredible .303/.375/.642 with nine home runs and 25 runs scored.
He could give the Guardians quite an offensive boost with his contact, on-base ability and power.
It’s disappointing that Manzardo’s arrival comes at the expense of Kwan, at least for a couple of weeks, but he is one of the most exciting rookies to come up this year in MLB.
He will be a mainstay in the Guardians lineup for the next few years if he performs as advertised.
NEXT: Guardians Top Prospect Diagnosed With Foot Fracture
