Photo courtesy of Lindsey Matier |
Welcome back to the Guardians Beat newsletter. My name is Tim Stebbins, and this is my first season covering Cleveland for MLB.com. |
AKRON, Ohio -- Standing inside the home clubhouse at Canal Park on Tuesday night, Lane Thomas let out a sigh as he processed the question. The Guardians outfielder was asked how he would describe his 2025 season.
It has been a forgettable summer for Thomas, who has been snakebitten by injuries that have limited him to just 39 games amid three stints on the injured list. When he’s been on the field, he has had a tough time offensively.
“I’m not a huge believer in luck. But unlucky,” Thomas said, letting out a chuckle. “I don't know. From getting hit on the wrist and then dealing with this foot thing, it's just bad timing. But what can you do?” Thomas, who has been on the 10-day IL since July 6 with right foot plantar fasciitis, began a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron on Tuesday. He hit leadoff and served as the DH while taking three at-bats as planned. It was an earnest step toward the 30-year-old salvaging something from the final month of the regular season. |
Expectations this season were high for Thomas, who was a Guardians postseason hero last fall and Cleveland’s Opening Day center fielder this season. When healthy, he’s someone who is capable of hitting 20 homers and swiping 20 bases.
Thomas first went down on April 22 with a right wrist bone bruise stemming from a hit-by-pitch in Cleveland’s April 8 home opener. He returned on May 22 but went back on the IL with right foot plantar fasciitis on May 30. He was activated on June 9 and played in 22 games before the foot issue sidelined him once more. Over his 39 games, Thomas has slashed .160/.246/.272 with four homers and 11 RBIs. It has all occurred with his first foray into free agency serving as a looming backdrop. Thomas is set to hit the open market this offseason.
“It sucks. It’s just -- what can you do?” Thomas said. “All you can do is show up and work and see where it takes you, and hopefully get over it at some point and be fully healthy.” Thomas said he has not begun thinking about the offseason. That stuff has a way of working itself out, as he pointed out. His priority is getting back on the field and doing anything he can to contribute to the Guardians. |
Thomas is set to play center field with Akron for five innings on Wednesday, and he’ll have an off-day built in after that. The overall plan is for him to build up to playing a full nine innings, at which point he could be an option to rejoin Cleveland. On Tuesday, he grounded out to shortstop in his first at-bat, struck out in a six-pitch sequence in his second and flew out just in front of the right-field warning track in his third. He appeared to be moving well running to first. “I felt good at the plate,” Thomas said. “I feel like I swung at good pitches, didn't swing at stuff in the dirt. [I felt] good. It's just a small sample size.” If and when Thomas is ready to rejoin Cleveland, he’ll be stepping into a crowded position player mix. The Guardians’ outfield picture includes Steven Kwan, Nolan Jones, Angel Martínez, Jhonkensy Noel and George Valera, plus versatile infielders such as C.J. Kayfus and Daniel Schneemann. The Guardians dropped back under .500 with Tuesday’s 11-7 loss to the Red Sox, and if they fall further out of the postseason picture, it will be interesting to see how they manage playing time on their big league roster, and how much that is done with 2026 in mind.
Before we get to that point, Thomas has to get through the rehab process. “I'm just trying to go day by day and do what they tell me to and hopefully get over the hump,” Thomas said. |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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• After a series of injury setbacks in the Minors, onetime top Guardians prospect George Valera completed his long road to the Majors when he made his big league debut on Monday. Read more >> • This story from MLB.com has everything you need to know about the postseason race, including information about each team’s potential tiebreakers. It will be updated after the final game across the Majors is played each night. Read more >> |
Next week’s seven-game homestand against the Royals and White Sox includes a variety of gate giveaways and theme nights. The first 15,000 fans on Saturday, Sept. 13, will receive a City Connect lightweight hoodie. Among the theme-night ticket offers: There is a Hogwarts House scarf featuring Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin (Wednesday, Sept. 10) and a University of Akron co-branded stainless steel tumbler (Sunday, Sept. 14).
More info on gate giveaways can be found here, and theme night information is available here. |
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