Tuesday, July 01

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

WASHINGTON -- Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter participated in a batting practice session in Arizona on Friday, alongside rehabbing players such as Shane Bieber, Trevor Stephan and David Fry. DeLauter (Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect, No. 31 overall, according to MLB Pipeline) hit a pair of home runs.

“We're getting some pretty good commentary, even from our Major League players who are out there [in Arizona],” Guardians general manager Mike Chernoff said. “They're like, ‘Wow, this guy looks good.’”

DeLauter (Pipeline’s No. 5 outfield prospect) underwent bilateral core muscle surgery in March to address a sports hernia. The 23-year-old has been rehabbing in Arizona and has returned to full baseball activity without setbacks. Monday, he was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians, with whom he began a rehab assignment on Tuesday.

DeLauter hit second in Tuesday’s lineup and started in right field. He went 0-for-2, flying and grounding out in his first game of 2025. 

“[It’s] very exciting, obviously just with knowing how hard he's worked to get back to it, what he can do offensively,” Chernoff said Tuesday afternoon. “And just for him, it's been a tough road. He has had to go through so much injury-wise.”

Coming back from his procedure in March, the Guardians will progressively build DeLauter up as he gets going in ACL play. He’ll work up to playing a full game, then in back-to-back games, before reaching a full progression. That would pave the way for him to continue his rehab stint with one of the organization’s Minor League affiliates, or to potentially rejoin Triple-A Columbus -- with whom he ended the 2024 season.

DeLauter was a non-roster invitee in Guardians camp this spring, and he suffered the core muscle injury during a pregame defensive drill in February. It continued a tough stretch for DeLauter, who was Cleveland’s first-round pick (16th overall) in the 2022 MLB Draft.

DeLauter fractured his left foot while in college at James Madison and had it surgically repaired in 2023. He fractured it last April while running the bases with Double-A Akron, avoided surgery and returned for one game on May 28. He returned to the IL on June 10 due to a sprained right big toe and was activated on July 27. 

DeLauter ultimately played just 39 games last season, but he was promoted to Columbus for the first time on Aug. 19. He has proven to be one of the most exciting outfield prospects in the Minors when healthy. In 97 career games, he has a .316/.385/.514 slash line with 13 homers, 63 RBIs and 42 walks compared to 52 strikeouts.

“We have all seen when he is on the field what he's capable of doing, especially offensively,” Chernoff said. “The main goal for him and for us right now is get him to a point where he is durable and can get through a full season. 

“Once he's healthy, we feel like he's got a lot of the ingredients and components to be a really good offensive player at the Major League level."

Perhaps lost in the Guardians’ 5-3 comeback win over the Blue Jays on Saturday was the performance of lefty Kolby Allard. 

Cleveland trailed 2-0 when Allard entered in relief of starter Gavin Williams in the fifth, and he limited the Blue Jays to one run over four innings to allow the Guardians to rally over the final two innings. Daniel Schneemann hit a solo homer in the eighth and capped things off with a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt described the length Allard provides out of the bullpen as “invaluable.” The lefty’s versatility is also a key asset. Allard can pitch one inning, as he did in Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Twins, when he covered the 10th. He can pitch six innings, as he did in relief on April 26 against the Red Sox -- when he allowed one run on six hits and threw just 64 pitches. 

He can even start, which he has done 42 times in his Major League career.

“He kept us in that game [on Saturday] and gave us a chance to come back,” Vogt said. “Kolby knows how to pitch. He can throw up to 80 pitches. We've also seen him come in and cover one inning for us. … He's got the ability to start if we ever need him to do that. He's got the experience.

“He's just no nonsense. ‘Here's the ball, I'm coming right after you and I know how to pitch.’”

The Guardians will host the Phillies and Brewers on a six-game homestand beginning Friday at Progressive Field, and they have several fun promotions on deck. Saturday, the first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive a Steven Kwan City Connect Cap. Monday, Cleveland is hosting the season's second “Bark in the Park” night. Fans who purchase a special ticket will receive a collapsible bowl. (Ticket purchase for human and dog required.)

More information on upcoming theme nights can be found here.

• After getting off to a bit of a slow start offensively this season, Carlos Santana has been on a roll. Read more >>

• Guardians prospect Jogly Garcia was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Month after his dominant performance in April. Read more >>

• Here are the latest Guardians injury updates, including the next steps for right-hander Slade Cecconi. Read more >>

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