Austin Hedges may have as good of a perspective as any Guardians player on how Fry impacts the team day in and day out. Not only is Hedges the biggest leader inside the clubhouse, but he and Fry are locker neighbors at Progressive Field and share a good relationship.
“He’s just a pro. He shows up very prepared every day,” Hedges said of Fry. “He's about as selfless as it gets. He puts so much energy into his teammates. He cares so much about everybody that, whether you’re a pitcher, position player, he's going to be there with some type of positive reinforcement in one way or another.
“Personally, I take a lot of pride in the same things, and there's so many days where I have a hard time doing it myself, and he's right there to pick me up. And it just means the world. Just the energy that he brings on a daily basis helps us win.”
That energy is important over the course of a long baseball season, and Fry and Hedges kept it light with each other Sunday after the Guardians’ win over the Angels. Hedges playfully jabbed at Fry because the scrum of reporters interviewing him leaked in front of Hedges’ locker. Fry said he tries to be himself everyday in the clubhouse, and he also joked part of his focus each day is keeping Hedges in line.
“We’re just constantly trying to keep the vibes high,” Hedges said. “Whether that's messing around in the clubhouse or locked in on the field or going over a game plan, it's just a constant trying to make some fun out of everything that we do.”
Vogt noted catching is not in the cards for Fry this season as he builds up his throwing program. For now, Fry will be exclusively serving as a DH. Being himself at the plate figures to be a big boost for the Guardians offensively.
Cleveland entered Tuesday 25th in the Majors in OPS vs. lefties (.627) and 22nd in wRC+ (79). Fry drew his first start of the season Tuesday in the series opener vs. the Yankees, and he knocked a game-tying RBI single off lefty Carlos Rodón in the seventh inning.
“There's a reason he's an All-Star,” Hedges said. “He's an .800 OPS guy, and his career is just getting started. I feel like we haven't even seen the best of David Fry yet. Obviously, we're just going to see it offensively this year. But once he comes back next year with his arm healthy, everyone's going to see the full package, for sure.”
