The Cleveland Guardians are still alive, and it may have been thanks to an unlikely hero.
Nolan Jones, the ever-struggling outfielder who has failed to live up to the hype, saved the day with his first home run in more than two months.
His solo moonshot off Tampa Bay’s Pete Fairbanks helped Stephen Vogt’s team secure a 4-3 extra-inning win against the visiting Rays.
This was a much-welcome turn of events for Jones, who hasn’t had the season he hoped for.
When asked about that, the young outfielder opened up on his struggles:
“I would like to say that I work my butt off every single day on both sides of the ball and my opportunities have been a little more limited recently, but when I get those opportunities, I try to do what I can to take advantage of them and help this team win,” Jones said. “I get it. It’s been a tough year for me. But I’m just trying to stay positive and rely on the guys.”
Jones entered Wednesday’s game hitting just .215 with a .614 OPS and three home runs in 298 at-bats.
He wanted to take a big leap in his first year back with the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
However, just like in his final season with the Colorado Rockies, he just hasn’t been able to shake off his injury woes.
Jones burst onto the scene in 2023 with a 20-homer, 62-RBI season, hitting .297 for the Rockies and looking like a star on the rise.
Injuries have prevented him from taking that jump.
Jones hasn’t been much of a factor this season, and he might find it tough to get consistent playing time for the remainder of the year, considering that this team can’t afford to drop many games.
That’s why it was such a breath of fresh air to watch him send that one to the bleachers, and, hopefully, it will be the start of a much-needed offensive awakening.
NEXT: Guardians Could Make Surprising Move With Carlos Santana
