Chase DeLauter on the Guardians’ Roster for the Wild Card Series
Gardener Chase DeLauter, with no prior experience in the Major Leagues, was included in the Cleveland Guardians’ roster for the wild card series against the Detroit Tigers. DeLauter, selected in the 16th position of the 2022 amateur draft, had an outstanding performance in Triple-A Columbus, where he batted .278 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 34 games. The player will turn 24 on October 8th. For much of this year, DeLauter was affected by injuries. He suffered an injury during a pre-game workout in spring training on February 28 and underwent sports hernia surgery on March 4. After playing eight games in the Arizona Complex League Guardians, DeLauter played his first game of this year with Triple-A Columbus on May 23, but only remained in the lineup until July 12. Eleven days later, he underwent surgery to repair a fracture in the hook bone of his right wrist. DeLauter could become the first player to debut in the postseason since 2020.
DeLauter joins six other left-handed hitters on the Guardians’ bench and could be used in center or right field. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch commented that DeLauter’s inclusion was not a surprise. The Tigers left out right-handed pitchers Chris Paddack and Tanner Rainey, but included right-hander Paul Sewald for the best-of-three series that began on Tuesday. The Yankees’ rookie catcher, J.C. Escarra, and pitchers Paul Blackburn and Will Warren were included on the roster against the Boston Red Sox, while pitchers Luis Gil and Ryan Yarbrough were excluded, along with outfielder Austin Slater. New York carries 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Escarra is the third catcher after Austin Wells and Ben Rice, giving manager Aaron Boone options for hitting and running. Warren is considered a better relief option than Gil, who averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings. Boston included two fast-emerging runners, infielders Nate Eaton and David Hamilton, and left-handed rookies Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced on Monday that right-handed pitcher Lucas Giolito will miss the series due to an elbow injury. Catcher Elias Díaz, who is suffering an injury to his left oblique, was excluded from San Diego’s roster for their series against the Chicago Cubs, and the Padres included three catchers: Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin, and Martín Maldonado. Rookie infielder Mason McCoy was added to the roster and left-handed pitcher Yuki Matsui was removed. Chicago included rookie outfielder Kevin Alcántara and catcher Moisés Ballesteros, but left out right-handed pitcher Javier Assad and catcher Miguel Amaya.“As we discussed and analyzed the three-game series, we felt that 11 pitchers was the right decision,” Vogt said. “When evaluating the at-bats, Chase was healthy and is the best hitter we have available. We thought it would be a good idea to include him on the roster.”
Stephen Vogt
