The Cleveland Guardians will enter Opening Day with a large piece of good news. The hand injury suffered by Austin Hedges in the next-to-last spring training game is not serious, and the backup catcher could avoid a trip to the injured list.
That means the Guardians might be able to bypass some unexpected juggling of their 26-man roster before beginning the season against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Hedges is one of three catchers Cleveland is expected to carry, including starter Bo Naylor and David Fry.
According to Mason Horodyski, following X-rays, the Guardians updated Hedges’ status and are listing him as day-to-day.
“Austin Hedges had an X-ray this morning that came up negative. He is day-to-day with a bone bruise, per Guardians Chris Antonetti,” Horodyski posted on X.
Austin Hedges had an X-ray this morning that came up negative. He is day-to-day with a bone bruise, per #Guardians Chris Antonetti.#GuardsBall x @WEWS
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) March 24, 2026
A bone bruise avoids the worst-case scenario, which would have been some type of fracture, likely to the hamate bone, in Hedges’ hand. He was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks and could have been facing an extended absence.
The Guardians did not announce a corresponding roster move, so Hedges will likely remain on the team to open the season. With Fry available to back up Naylor, Hedges can take a couple of days off, if needed, to get back to full strength.
The return of Fry is critical to this scenario. After not being able to play the field last season while recovering from elbow surgery, he showed early in spring training that he could return to his duties behind the plate with no issues.
Naylor is expected to get the bulk of the playing time again this season after his breakthrough offensive performance in last year’s pennant race. With the Guardians counting on internal improvement to boost their offense, Naylor could be one of their key players this season.
Hedges is entering his 12th major league season, his fifth overall with Cleveland and third in a row after playing elsewhere in 2023. He is considered a defensive specialist, as he has a lifetime batting average of under .200.
But he has proven to be a reliable and effective player under manager Stephen Vogt, who fortunately will be able to count on him again moving forward.
NEXT: Guardians Prospect Making Serious Noise This Spring
