Monday, July 21

Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com.

CLEVELAND -- The Guardians’ flight had just landed in Houston the night of July 6, when Kyle Manzardo turned his phone back on and was greeted by a flurry of missed phone calls. Members of his family had been trying to connect with him to share some urgent news.

Manzardo’s mother, Windy -- who had been dealing with a major heart complication since 2021 -- was set to undergo long-awaited heart transplant surgery. A donor had been found.

“I missed a bunch of calls, and I called back, and they said that it was probably happening,” Manzardo said. “A little bit later, they said that it was happening. … My mind kind of went the other direction [initially], but [I was] very happy and grateful that everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”

Windy, a cardiac nurse, underwent the transplant surgery on July 8 at Providence Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. She is set to go home to continue her recovery.

“I know she’s excited,” Manzardo said. “She’s just tired, resting, recovering -- feeling great.”

Windy, 51, began to have heart complications in 2021 and was ultimately diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is “a rare disease in which your body’s immune response to inflammation makes scars. These harm your heart, causing abnormal heart rhythms. Scars can get in the way of heartbeat signals, keeping them from getting where they need to go.”

Manzardo recalled a moment when Windy had a pacer/defib combo that “started popping off,” and she was airlifted from the family’s home in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to the hospital in Spokane. She was then put on the transplant list in 2022.

“It was scary,” Manzardo said of the past few years. “You just deal with it. Not really anything that can be done about it. Just deal with it as best you can.”

After the Guardians landed in Houston nearly two weeks ago, Manzardo quickly connected with his dad, Paul -- who told him that Windy’s surgery was scheduled for the next day. Manzardo then spoke with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who encouraged him to join his family. 

Manzardo left the team hotel around 4:30 a.m. on July 7 to catch a flight out of Houston. Cleveland later placed the 25-year-old on the family medical emergency list before its series opener vs. the Astros.

Manzardo called the time between leaving the Guardians’ hotel and arriving at the hospital in Spokane “surreal” and “pretty anxious” for him. He arrived in time to be able to connect with Windy before her surgery the following morning.

With Windy now recovering, the entire family feels a sense of gratitude. Manzardo rejoined the Guardians on July 10 in Chicago, and he then returned to be with his family during the All-Star break. 

“[My dad] was super excited. He’s been over the moon about it,” Manzardo said. “He’s in the same place we all are -- just grateful and happy.”

Manzardo was asked about the past few years, and coming up as a baseball player while dealing with something much more important off the field.

“I guess now that it's over,” Manzardo said, “I’ve kind of realized how heavy that was to just be carrying it around with you for a couple of years now. Just grateful it’s hopefully done with now.”

Before the All-Star break, Cade Smith made a subtle but not insignificant change to his equipment. The Guardians’ right-hander switched to a larger glove, the idea behind which is rather simple.

“It came from our coaching staff that [opponents] were trying to look into my glove,” Smith said. 

Opposing teams, including a runner on second base, trying to decipher signs is as old as baseball itself. Smith bumping up from a 12-inch glove to a 13-inch glove is one way for the Guardians to counter it. Opponents now figure to have a tougher time looking into Smith’s glove at his hand and pitch grips.

It’s something Cleveland’s scouting department identified as an issue this season, and the timing of the change came after a unique moment in Houston on July 8.

Smith entered in the sixth inning to protect the Guardians’ 6-4 lead against the Astros, with two outs, Isaac Paredes at the plate and Mauricio Dubón on second base. Smith stepped off the rubber three straight times before throwing a pitch to Paredes.

Under a rule change implemented in 2023, three disengagements during one plate appearance result in a balk. The Guardians had Smith do it intentionally to move Dubón to third base. Manager Stephen Vogt was even caught waving toward Dubón (his teammate with the Giants in 2019) from the dugout.

“We're always watching for our guys,” Vogt said. “We talked about it in Houston; we balked a runner over to third. That bigger glove is going to hide more from the other team.

“We scout our guys all the time,” Vogt added. “We scout other teams. Every team does it.”

• Facing a key stretch before the July 31 Trade Deadline, the Guardians picked up where they left off before the All-Star break in Friday’s 8-6 win over the A’s. Read more >>

• Steven Kwan discussed his nagging right wrist injury and his decision to play in the 2025 All-Star Game. Read more >>

• On Tuesday, Shane Bieber is set to make his second rehab start since he overcame a setback in his Tommy John surgery comeback progression. Read more >>

• Here is where you can keep tabs on the Guardians’ 2025 Draft class signings. Read more >>

“The Yankees’ [coaching] staff knew about it, which was funny. I came back, and they're all looking at me, shaking their heads, saying, ‘Guards Ball, huh?’ I couldn't help but laugh at that. I think Vogter was whispering in their ears for that as well. The words came out of their mouths, which was funny.” -- Kwan, on the American League dugout’s reaction to his game-tying RBI infield single in the ninth inning of the All-Star Game

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