Josh Naylor's placement on the injured is list just the latest gut punch for the Guardians
CLEVELAND — The Guardians keep taking gut punches. And four uppercuts to the body in the last six weeks are taking their toll.
It's been a rough week for the Guardians. Well, really, it's been a rough month and a half, as they have remained in contention in the American League Central, but not without repeated speed bumps making that journey all the more difficult.
On June 17, the Guardians lost Triston McKenzie to an ACL sprain in his elbow. It's a scary diagnosis for any pitcher, especially for one who is such an important part of his team's future. For now, he's going the non-surgical route, but it'll be something the club has to closely monitor.
About a month later, they lost Shane Bieber, too, to a shoulder injury. It also might have robbed the team of any chance of trading him for the time being.
Already, they'd be without their top two starting pitchers until at least September, and it'd be impossible to rule out the possibility that either pitcher doesn't return in 2023 at all.
Then, this week hit. Along with a couple of trades that sent away Amed Rosario and Josh Bell, the Guardians dealt red-hot right-handed starter Aaron Civale to the Tampa Bay Rays.
On one hand, the Guardians received a pretty strong value for Civale, nabbing first baseman Kyle Manzardo, a top-40 prospect and the kind of young hitter the club hasn't been able to develop. And only a month or so ago, it would have seemed ridiculous that the Guardians could get such a highly valued prospect for the oft-injured Civale.
It's a deal that gives the lineup in 2024 and beyond a potentially middle-of-the-order hitter who can remain in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
With everything going wrong around them, adding a top-40 prospect for Civale is the type of value that will always force the Guardians front office to at least listen to offers.
Two-sided deal: Breaking down the trade deadline: Aaron Civale trade a tug-of-war between value and timing
On the other hand, a contending team with a rotation full of injured veterans and rookies dealt their best-performing starting pitcher and a badly needed player to bridge the gap until September, when the club is hopeful Bieber and/or McKenzie can return.
The Guardians will lean into their internal pitching development to replace Civale, which on its own has some merit, but Civale looked to be an instrumental part of the club's chances to chase down the Twins. It's understandable to think it could take the wind out of the sails as the rest of the roster continues the drive for the postseason in 2023, but now without Civale.
Bell was dealt right at the 6 p.m. trade deadline buzzer on Tuesday, not long before the Guardians took on the Astros in Houston. A few hours later, they were no-hit by Framber Valdez.
Chris Antonetti speaks with team after 2023 trade deadline
It was enough that president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti saw it necessary to fly there and speak with the team on Wednesday, according to reports from Houston by The Athletic and Cleveland.com.
A message to the clubhouse after dealing Civale during a divisional chase, regardless of the value, was warranted.
"Yeah, of course, and it's something that we're mindful of, but we had talked with Tito [manager Terry Francona] and Carl [Willis] and we do feel that we have some options to turn to in the rotation," Antonetti said Monday night on Zoom, before the trip to Houston. "And, again, this also positions us well and gives us a good offensive player moving forward, but hopefully there will be other opportunities for us over the next whatever it is, 26 hours, and if we can find other ways to add to our team, we'll certainly continue to look at those as well."
As it turns out, the right deal didn't materialize when it comes to reinforcing the starting rotation, and Bell was sent to Miami in exchange for Khalil Watson, a middle infield prospect (along with the Guardians absorbing Jean Segura's contract and then immediately releasing him). That deal will save the Guardians roughly $6 million in 2024 and clear the path for Manzardo to handle the first base and designated hitter duties with Josh Naylor.
Which leads into the most recent gut punch.
Guardians place Josh Naylor on injured list with strained oblique
On Friday, the Guardians placed Naylor — one of only two consistent producers in the lineup, and somebody who played a large part in keeping the offense afloat along with Jose Ramirez — on the injured list with an oblique strain.
According to Francona, the club's timeline for Naylor's rehab is three to six weeks, but that it's also "extremely tentative" at this time. Naylor will be re-checked each week. Veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations to provide some depth.
It means that, in all likelihood, Bieber, McKenzie and Naylor are all out until at least September. The Guardians have had a clear top two in their starting rotation and two hitters who have led the way offensively — and they'll now be without three of those four for several weeks, and during a stretch in which Cleveland has one of the toughest upcoming schedules in baseball.
"It is hard," said Andres Gimenez through a team translator of how difficult it is to deal with such a key injury to the lineup. "When I got to the clubhouse and saw the lineup and find out, it was difficult to understand. [Naylor has] been the most consistent hitter throughout the season, the one who [has driven in runs for us].
"So obviously it's difficult, but also I believe we have a group of young guys who can help us in that way, and we're going to keep going that way."
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians place Josh Naylor on injured list
