SEATTLE -- Chase DeLauter took a trot around the bases in the first inning Thursday, after hitting his first of two home runs in the Guardians’ 6-5 win over the Mariners. Upon returning to the dugout to celebrate with his teammates, he swapped his batting helmet for a knight’s.

“Just something to celebrate every time Chase hits a homer,” catcher Austin Hedges quipped of the unique garb.

DeLauter hit each of Cleveland’s first four home runs of the season; he went deep again on Saturday. But soon, you’ll see other Guardians players donning the knight helmet, which is a new dugout celebration the club debuted this week.

The medieval theme traces to a group outing Hedges organized during Spring Training. Guardians players enjoyed a night at Medieval Times in Scottsdale, Ariz., where they dressed up as knights and wizards. Tanner Bibee bought the helmet and Kyle Manzardo bought a real (albeit safe, blunt) sword.






The idea is as follows: When a Guardians player hits a home run, they get to don the helmet. In the clubhouse after a win, Hedges will “knight” the star of the game with the sword, as he did DeLauter on Thursday. Both props have emerged as a means to build team chemistry.

“You can see a lot of guys [around the Majors] excited to put a helmet on, a jacket on, a thing, a trident,” Hedges said of celebratory props that have become a trend in recent years. “Just little things. You’re into it and it’s something to do as a group because it really is such an individual sport.

“The more ways we can apply team things that bring us together, it goes a long way, especially as the season gets longer.”

The past two seasons, the Guardians handed out a championship belt to the star of each win. The team-bonding exercise was the brainchild of former Cleveland right-hander Tyler Beede, and Hedges, a clubhouse leader, later became the belt’s presenter. He delivered it to “the heavyweight champion of the game,” via a WWE-style announcement

The sword has emerged in the belt’s place. Paired with the knight’s helmet, the props are one ingredient to the Guardians’ larger mission this year.

Cleveland finished 28th in the Majors in runs per game (3.97) last season, when it bowed out in the AL Wild Card Series. The club wants to emphasize how it believes it has a good offense, and build some cohesion along the way.






“Year after year, eventually things are gonna get dropped out,” Hedges said. “It doesn’t hit the same, and you don’t want something to feel forced. Like, ‘Ah, the belt again.’ That was a couple years ago’s identity, last year’s identity.

“The last two years, we won the division, which was great. We have higher expectations. So there’s certain things we have to mix up and change. We’re trying to be more offensive and win the damn World Series. So, similar concept, different idea."

Hedges had some initial concerns about whether his teammates would enjoy the night at Medieval Times. The night out together has ultimately blossomed into something the team can lean upon all season as they look to achieve special things.

"Those are things that I remember when I was young, first couple times going out with the big guys on the team," Hedges said. "You never forget it. Those are stories you’re gonna tell your grandchildren. We had an absolute blast. I don’t think it could’ve gone any better."







As for the postgame knighting ceremony, well, Hedges noted he was still working on his delivery. It's understandable; Opening Day was his first opportunity at it. It doesn't sound like he'll break out an old-timey English accent.

"I can do my best Bruce Buffer impression," Hedges said. "But what am I going to do, my best Shakespearean? I’ll figure something out."

The knighting did go better the second time around, Hedges noted Saturday. DeLauter was, of course, the recipient after he crushed a two-run homer off Andres Muñoz in the 10th inning, which loomed large in the Guardians' 6-5 win over the Mariners.

DeLauter has kept the helmet warm so far. The team is coming together around his strong start to the season. Maybe, for now, it will remain the Chase Crown.

"I mean, I'm probably not gonna contribute anytime soon," Steven Kwan quipped. "It might be the Chase and Hosey [José Ramírez] crown, but he's got a good look on it. So I think maybe we just keep it like that right now. And it rolls off the tongue."


 
BIBEE LATEST






Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee threw a 26-pitch bullpen on Saturday and felt good afterward. It was a key step after he exited his Opening Day start ahead of the sixth inning due to right shoulder inflammation.

Bibee’s status remains day to day right now, and manager Stephen Vogt noted they will reassess him on Sunday. The Guardians want to give him every opportunity to make his next scheduled start, which is slated for Tuesday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. They are also preparing for all scenarios.

“Obviously, we're thinking through all the contingencies,” Vogt said. “We're hoping we don't have to use one.”


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Guardians

Guardians trade outfielder to Orioles for right-handed reliever

Updated: Mar. 29, 2026, 7:38 p.m.|Published: Mar. 29, 2026, 7:31 p.m.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

SEATTLE — Outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez hit 114 homers in the minor leagues for the Guardians but could never find the formula to transfer that power to the big leagues.

On Sunday the Guardians traded him to Baltimore for right-hander Carter Rustad in a minor league deal. When the Guardians reduced their roster to 26 players on Wednesday, Rodriguez was designated for assignment to make room for Rhys Hoskins.

The Guardians had seven days to trade or put Rodriguez on outright or release waivers.

Rodriguez, 26, spent the last nine years with the Guardians. They drafted him out of Puerto Rico with their third pick in the 2017 draft.

He played only 44 games in the big leagues during that time. Last season, he hit .197 (14 for 71) with two homers and 10 RBI in 31 games with the Guardians. At Triple-A Columbus, Rodriguez hit .312 (101 for 324) with 16 homers and 66 RBI.

Rodriguez will join Jhonkensy Noel, another former Cleveland slugger, in Baltimore’s minor league system. They are big, right-handed power hitters who weren’t overwhelmed with big-league opportunities in Cleveland.

Rustad, 6-foot-4 and 194 pounds, went 1-3 with a 3.23 ERA and three saves at three different minor league levels for Baltimore last year. He struck out 56 and walked 23 in 53 innings.

The Orioles drafted Rustad, 24, in the 15th round in 2024 out of the University of Missouri. Cleveland has not assigned him to a minor league team.

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Orioles Acquire Johnathan Rodriguez From Guardians

Rodriguez and Noel Reunited

By Mark Polishuk | at March 29, 2026 3:45pm CDT

The Orioles acquired outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez from the Guardians in exchange for minor league right-hander Carter Rustad, MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins. reports. The two teams have each officially announced the trade, and the Orioles optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A.

Rodriguez is a veteran of 44 big league games, all with the Guardians in 2024-25. A third-round pick for Cleveland in the 2017 draft, Rodriguez has been crushing minor league pitching for four years now, and he has a .301/.390/.535 slash line and 56 homers over 1083 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. In the majors, however, Rodriguez has hit only .176/.282/.304 with 36 strikeouts over his 117 PA in a Guards uniform, as his struggles with advanced spin rates have been highlighted against upper-level pitchers.

It was enough for the Guardians to designate Rodriguez for assignment in advance of Opening Day, and Baltimore stepped up with a trade offer to bring the 26-year-old outfielder into the organization. Rodriguez has a minor league option remaining, so he’ll provide the O’s with some depth at the very least, even if it remains unclear where exactly Rodriguez could fit onto their 26-man roster unless an injury arises.

Baltimore is already juggling Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers, Leody Taveras, and utilitymen Jeremiah Jackson and Blaze Alexander as candidates for outfield duty. Jackson and Alexander will probably see more time on the infield with Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg still on the injured list, however, creating more need for an optionable outfielder like Rodriguez to be part of the mix at Triple-A. It could also be that the Orioles’ evaluators see Rodriguez as a project to be fixed, as his hitting potential and strong throwing arm make him an interesting player to watch if he learns how to handle movement.

Rustad is a few weeks away from his 25th birthday, and the righty was a 15th-round pick for Baltimore in the 2024 draft. The Mizzou product has worked almost exclusively as a reliever in pro ball, and he posted a 3.23 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, and 10.1% walk rate across 53 total minor league innings in 2025, moving from A-ball to high-A to Double-A before the year was out.

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Rodriguez received chances to show he could fill in as a power threat in Cleveland's lineup during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but never found his groove at the big league level. In 102 career at-bats in the Majors, Rodriguez has a .586 OPS with two home runs and 36 strikeouts.

Perhaps the Orioles are willing to give Rodriguez another opportunity for a big league stint later on this season. Although his biggest competition in the Baltimore system might just be another former right-handed hitting Cleveland outfielder, in Jhonkensy Noel.

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Guardians

Guardians add veteran left-hander from Triple-A, option offseason bullpen addition to minors

Updated: Mar. 30, 2026, 6:39 p.m.|Published: Mar. 30, 2026, 6:12 p.m.

By Joe Noga, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kolby Allard’s stay with Triple-A Columbus was a short one.

Assigned to the Clippers in the final week of spring training after being informed he would not make the Guardians’ roster for Opening Day, Allard’s contract was selected Monday prior to the first game of Cleveland’s series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

The Guardians optioned right-handed reliever Colin Holderman to make room for Allard on the 26-man roster and designated left-hander Doug Nikhazy for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

Allard’s addition signals that the club could be preparing to skip ace Tanner Bibee’s next scheduled start after the right-hander experienced shoulder soreness in Thursday’s season opener against Seattle.

Bibee left that game after warming up in the sixth inning. He threw a bullpen session on Saturday at T-Mobile Park and reported feeling good on Sunday, but the club had not made a definite decision about his status for Tuesday’s game in LA.

Midway through spring training, manager Stephen Vogt said the club was positioning Allard, 28, to get stretched out as a starter. He pitched in a variety of roles for Cleveland in 2025, including long relief, leverage and spot starts. A former No. 1 pick of the Braves in 2015, Allard found a place in the Guardians’ bullpen last season by being willing to take the ball whenever and wherever he was needed.

He appeared in 33 games, including two starts and went 2-2, posting a 2.63 ERA over 65 innings with 42 strikeouts and 16 walks.

Whether or not Allard rejoining the club is an indication Bibee is not quite ready to make his next start altogether, or that the club is bringing in a fresh arm that could cover innings in case the righty goes short against the Dodgers remains unclear.

Holderman, 30, pitched in two games during the Seattle series, allowing three runs (two earned) including a home run with three strikeouts and two walks in three innings. He signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with Cleveland in December as the club began making investments to bulk up its bullpen depth in the offseason.

Nikhazy, 26, was ranked as high as No. 21 among Cleveland’s top prospects after being drafted in the second round by the club in 2021 out of the University of Mississippi. He debuted in 2025, appearing in two games (one start) and allowing six earned runs on five hits with six walks and five strikeouts in four innings.

This spring, Nikhazy appeared in four Cactus League games, allowing six runs on eight hits with four walks and three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

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Guardians

Guardians outfield alignment backfires: Can Cleveland survive with its Gold Glove outfielder in a new position?

Updated: Mar. 30, 2026, 5:58 p.m.|Published: Mar. 30, 2026, 5:57 p.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sometimes the most frustrating losses aren’t about what the opponent does — they’re about what you do to yourself.

The Guardians walked away from Seattle with a series split, but they left behind some legitimate questions about their outfield defense. Specifically: Why are they playing their best left fielder in center field while trotting out inexperienced players to patrol left?

Joe Noga didn’t mince words on the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast when breaking down Sunday night’s shutout loss.

“CJ Kayfus started the game in left field on Sunday night and it was a pretty rough outing,” Noga said. “Had a couple of balls get past him and one ball drop near the line. He didn’t look very confident, didn’t look very strong out there in left field when everybody knows you could put Steven Kwan out there and get Gold Glove results.”

Paul Hoynes agreed, and his response captured the head-scratching nature of the decision perfectly:

“That was a head scratcher,” Hoynes said. “But that’s the way they run this outfield. That’s the way they run this roster. It’s interchangeable except for, you know, Jose Ramirez and even he gets a day off.”

Hoynes continued:

“You have your best left fielder playing center field and a guy that’s, playing his second major league game in left field and you’re surprised at what happened.”

The Guardians decided Sunday night, in a crucial series finale, was the perfect time to give him the left field assignment.

The results were predictable. Dominic Canzone hit a double in the second inning where Kayfus had to slide — Hoynes noted he probably could have caught it on the run, but “he slid and the ball hit him in the chest and he couldn’t control it.” Cal Raleigh later hit a ground-rule double down the line where Kayfus had to cover serious ground and couldn’t make the play.

Hoynes felt for the kid: “His inexperience kind of showed up there. But also the positioning, I don’t think helped him because he ran a long way. He ran a long way for both those.”

Here’s what makes this especially maddening: The Guardians have Kwan, a legitimate Gold Glove left fielder, on their roster. Instead of putting him in his natural position where he can turn those plays into outs, they’ve got him playing center. Meanwhile, Kayfus — who doesn’t possess great speed to begin with — is learning on the job in a position that requires range and instincts developed over years.

Noga pointed out the obvious alternative: “You’ve got a guy like Angel Martinez who might be a little bit more athletic and be able to get to some of those balls a little bit quicker as an option there as well.”

The Guardians’ philosophy of roster interchangeability has merit in some contexts. Rest days, matchup advantages, keeping everyone fresh — sure. But when it leads to your best defensive outfielder playing out of position while a rookie struggles through his second career game? That’s not roster flexibility. That’s roster stubbornness.

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Guardians

Chase DeLauter’s explosive debut: Guardians rookie goes from first at-bat home run to AL Player of the Week

Published: Mar. 30, 2026, 6:02 p.m.

By Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The wait is over, and Chase DeLauter just kicked the door down.

On the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast, beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes couldn’t contain their excitement about the Guardians rookie’s explosive major league debut. And who could blame them? Four home runs in your first four official games? That’s not just making an entrance — that’s announcing yourself as a force.

“It was Chase DeLauter’s coming out party,” Hoynes said. “I don’t think anyone could deny that. Four home runs in the first three games of the series in his first four official major league games.”

Let that sink in. DeLauter joined elite company by homering in his first official major league at-bat on Thursday night, becoming just the fifth Cleveland player ever to accomplish that feat. Names like Jay Bell and Kevin Kouzmanoff and Earl Averill populate that exclusive list, and now DeLauter’s right there with them.

But here’s where it gets really interesting: Hoynes pointed out on the podcast that DeLauter “is out-homering half the teams in the big leagues” after just four games. The confidence this kid displayed wasn’t cocky — it was earned, developed through the minors, and now on full display in the majors.

The moment that might define his weekend came Saturday night against one of baseball’s most dominant closers. With the Guardians already having scored once in the 10th inning to break a 3-3 tie, DeLauter stepped up against Seattle’s Andres Munoz. What happened next had the podcast hosts still shaking their heads days later.

“Everyone who has ever played at T-Mobile park or Safeco Field, whatever you want to call it, they say at nighttime in March or April, when the air gets so heavy and it’s so cold there that the ball dies when you hit it out to left field. And this thing just kept going. David Fry said instead of going down, that ball kept going up.”

A 97-mph fastball up and away. In cold Seattle air. Against one of the game’s best closers. DeLauter barreled it to left field for a two-run shot that essentially sealed the victory. That’s not beginner’s luck — that’s elite hitting.

Noga announced the cherry on top during the podcast: “Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter named the American League Player of the Week for his performance from Thursday to Sunday. Four home runs, five RBIs, five scored and a 1.412 OPS.”

Hitting coach Grant Fink told Hoynes he was actually glad to see DeLauter struggle early Saturday — two strikeouts in his first four at-bats — before coming back to deliver the knockout blow. It showed he could handle adversity and bounce back within the same game.

Now the question becomes: How do you take this kid out of the lineup? Even with Stephen Vogt preaching caution about workload management, DeLauter played all four games in Seattle. And why wouldn’t he? When you’re this hot, you ride it.

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Cleveland Guardians Analysis

Early Observations of the Guardians

Not hot takes, just points of interest

by Quincy Wheeler

Mar 30, 2026, 12:40 PM CDT

We have seen the Guardians for four games - what can we say about them?

First, let’s be clear - you can’t say much of any certainty about any baseball team until Memorial Day. And, I was convinced that the Guardians were a bad baseball team last season at the end of August because their offense was so inept… and they won 88 games and their division. So, I am not offering any full assessments on this team. It’s four, cold games across the country. There aren’t a lot of conclusions to be drawn, yet.

With that said, something that really stands out is that the Mariners were not afraid to throw the Guardians four-seam fastballs and that strategy really paid off. The Guardians saw the third most four-seam fastballs of any team in MLB this weekend and they were 23rd in wOBA at .259 and 29th in xwOBA at .234 against those fastballs. Believe me that teams will be happy to challenge Guardians’ hitters (except, perhaps, for Jose Ramirez and Chase DeLauter) with fastballs until they can show they can do significant damage on those pitches. So, time to drink some caffeine and head to the plate looking for heaters you can do some damage on, boys. It’s warm in LA; make it happen.

Meanwhile, Guardians’ pitching is currently 27th in MLB with a 5.40 batters per 9 walk rate. Thankfully, they also came out of the series 5th in MLB with a strikeout rate per 9 of 11.31 batters. Cleveland was giving up a lot of hard contact as seen by them being 27th in xERA, so it is absolutely imperative that they decrease their walk rate, especially if they cannot find a way to more consistently miss the barrel of the bat. It certainly seemed like the Guardians’ pitchers were not comfortable on the mound and could not consistently execute their pitches. This may be an “it’s early” phenomenon, but I do think the pitching staff’s walk rate will be one of the most important metrics to follow in 2026.

Finally, it’s obvious the team had some issues defensively (mostly in the outfield) and some issues making wise ABS challenges. I hope the team offers some additional restrictions on which batters can challenge and when and where they want those challenges to take place. I think the team will continue to have some hiccups in outfield defense as players like CJ Kayfus and David Fry get used to playing out there. However, it’s important that Stephen Vogt use his bench to get ideal defensive alignments in place later in games if the team manages to get a lead.

Also… go get Travis Bazzana to play second, move Brayan Rocchio to short, and DFA Gabriel Arias already, for gosh sakes!

I am sure a variety of the issues I describe here will improve with a larger sample size to draw from, but, at the least, we have a few areas of concern to monitor in the games ahead.

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LA's Roki Sasaki remains big question mark as Dodgers host Guardians

Field Level Media

published: Mon 30th March, 09:07 2026

With three comeback victories in three games during their opening series of the season, the Los Angeles Dodgers now will address their biggest question when they open a three-game home series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.

The Dodgers received key relief innings from right-hander Roki Sasaki during last season's postseason run that ended in a second consecutive World Series championship. In his second major league campaign, Sasaki's move back into a starting role has been a bumpy ride.

He gave up at least three runs in all four of his spring starts, leaving him with a 15.58 ERA over 8 2/3 innings. Manager Dave Roberts never wavered from the team's decision to include Sasaki in the regular-season rotation, although his spot as the No. 4 starter is lower than originally projected.

Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in 10 outings (eight starts) last season.

"Right now, we're going to run him out there," Roberts said. "... We're going to support him as much as we can, and then give him some runway, and once (his) season starts, it's about production.

"... Yeah, it hasn't been great. It really hasn't. And we know that. The standard needs to be better. He knows that, we know that. Now it's kind of go time and see how we can perform when the lights come on."

Sasaki, who has never faced the Guardians, does have a strong bullpen and a relentless offense to lean on. Dodgers relievers have not given up a run in three games and have nine strikeouts over 11 2/3 innings. Los Angeles hitters overcame 2-0 deficits in each of the first three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

On Saturday, Will Smith hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and the Dodgers pulled off a 3-2 victory on the catcher's birthday and his bobblehead night. Los Angeles had a rare Sunday off day.

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been held to one hit in eight at-bats (.125) with four walks (.462 on-base percentage).

"There's some pitches that he's swinging at that he's just missing," Roberts said. "... I honestly think Shohei's fine. As long as he's taking his walks, he'll slug."

The Guardians, meanwhile, went 2-2 during their season-opening series at Seattle and were thumped 8-0 on Sunday after finishing with just two hits.

After making his major league debut in last season's playoffs, Chase DeLauter is off to an impressive start after hitting four home runs over the first three games. No other Cleveland hitter has a home run so far.

DeLauter had one of Cleveland's two hits Sunday, a single to center field, to end the Mariners' combined no-hit bid in the seventh inning.

The Guardians will have left-hander Parker Messick make his season debut and first ever appearance against the Dodgers on Monday. Messick returns this season with his rookie status intact but did make seven starts with Cleveland last season, going 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA after making his debut Aug. 20.

"He came (into spring training) and hit the ground running," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "Parker threw two or three times on the back fields and (it was) like he was pitching in Game 6 of the ALCS.

"Just to be able to have that mentality, it's not easy for everybody. But Parker is going to take the ball and pitch whenever his name's called."

The teams also played at Los Angeles last season, with the Dodgers winning two of three games in May.

--Field Level Media

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Guardians hopeful Bibee (right shoulder) could make next start

SEATTLE -- The Guardians are taking things day by day with starter Tanner Bibee after he exited his Opening Day start against the Mariners on Thursday with right shoulder inflammation.

Bibee has continued his normal between-starts throwing program since his early departure from the Guardians' 6-4 win over the Mariners on Thursday. He went through a weighted-ball program on Friday and threw a 26-pitch bullpen on Saturday, and reported he felt good afterward on Sunday, when he played catch.

Manager Stephen Vogt noted Friday that the plan, if everything goes well, is for Bibee to make his next scheduled start, which is slated for Tuesday against the Dodgers. The next step is seeing how Bibee feels after his catch play on Sunday.

"Everything's been trending really well," Vogt said before Sunday's series finale in Seattle. "Obviously we'll get an update after he plays catch, but it's the normal progression in-between starts."

Bibee called to the Guardians’ dugout after he threw his final warmup pitch ahead of the bottom of the sixth inning Thursday. He noted after the Guardians’ win that the issue was new and not something he experienced in Spring Training.

Vogt acknowledged Friday the Guardians are talking through various hypotheticals in the event they do need to make a change with the rotation. The club wants to first make sure they give Bibee every chance to make his next start, if he’s feeling able physically.

One of the Guardians’ options could include recalling lefty Logan Allen from Triple-A Columbus, though that would require Cleveland to make a roster move. The Guardians optioned Allen to the Clippers on March 21; he threw in Arizona this week and was set to join Columbus in the days following.

The Guardians had six starters in the mix for their rotation this spring, but their rotation depth has grown precipitously thin since then. Austin Peterson suffered a right triceps strain on Feb. 24 that came with a return timetable of six to eight weeks. He would have otherwise been among the top depth starters for the big league team. Peterson finished 2025 with Columbus, and Cleveland added him to its 40-man roster in November.

The Guardians' rotation depth on their 40-man roster otherwise includes Yorman Gómez and Doug Nikhazy, both of whom opened the season with Columbus. Another option could be Will Dion, who is not on the 40-man.

The Guardians are also having Kolby Allard and Pedro Avila stretch out with the Clippers, given the state of their depth. Allard will stretch out to a point; the Guardians value his ability to pitch in a bevy of situations.

Whether or not Bibee is ready before Tuesday, the best scenario for the Guardians here is, of course, him returning to full strength.

Did you like this story?
Tim Stebbins covers the Guardians for MLB.com.

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