At 40-47, the Cleveland Guardians could potentially consider trading some assets at the deadline.
One of those players could be outfielder Lane Thomas.
The 2024 trade acquisition is in a contract year, and Cleveland doesn’t have any plans to retain him long-term.
However, injuries keep getting in the way, and they might affect the team’s ability to find a taker for him.
On Sunday, ahead of the game against the Detroit Tigers, Thomas was placed back on the 10-day injured list with a familiar injury: plantar fasciitis.
It’s the third time Thomas has visited the injured list, the second due to plantar fasciitis.
It goes to show that perhaps the team rushed him back the first time.
This is a particularly nagging injury that usually goes away with rest and rehab.
With the trade deadline at the end of the month, Cleveland likely won’t be able to get much in return unless he can show he is fully healthy.
Thomas, unfortunately, has failed to make an impact this season and owns a disappointing .160/.246/.272 line with a 48 wRC+.
It’s hard to think his trade value is incredibly high at the moment, and while things can certainly change in the upcoming weeks, the fact that he hasn’t been able to shake off the same injury he dealt with since early June is not particularly encouraging.
Will Wilson, who has struggled with a 46 wRC+ in the majors, is taking Thomas’ place on the roster.
Wilson does have a 155 wRC+ in Triple-A and projects to be a utility option for Cleveland.
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