Cleveland, Ohio Returning to Cleveland has been enjoyable for Tyler Freeman.
At Progressive Field on Monday night, Colorado defeated the Guardians 8–6. Freeman went 2 for 4 with three RBI in the leadoff position. Freeman’s single past first base gave the Rockies a 6-5 lead in the ninth inning, when they came back for four runs to overcome a 5-4 deficit.
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Freeman was 2 for 4 with a double in Tuesday’s 10–4 loss against the Guardians. On Wednesday night, the series comes to an end.
“After Monday’s game, there were a lot of emotions,” Freeman remarked. Before the game, I was introducing myself to the men and coaching staff. We didn’t seem to have missed a beat.
Freeman was selected by the Guardians in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He spent a portion of the 2022–2024 season in the major leagues. They traded him to the Rockies for Nolan Jones on March 22 of this year, five days prior to the opening day.
In 2016, Jones was selected by the Guardians in the second round. On November 15, 2022, they transferred him to the Rockies in exchange for Juan Brito. They returned Jones to Cleveland in late March.
Freeman claimed that the deal has been difficult for him.
He remarked, “I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten over it.” The day was chaotic. The emotions definitely kicked in now that I was seeing all the men and remembering everything.
That team over there was amazing. I adored every aspect of it. Everyone treated me very well. In a way, Monday was a game of retaliation.
I made an effort to be myself. Overall, it was good.
With a 28-79 record, the Rockies have the worst record in the major leagues, but Freeman is playing well for them. With 15 doubles, one home run, 19 RBI, and a.800 OPS (onbase plus slugging percentage), he is hitting.310 (61 for 197). In 16 attempts, he has stolen 12 bases and scored 27 runs.
Jones, on the other hand, has had a difficult time since returning to Cleveland. With 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 28 RBI, he is hitting.222 (58 for 261). With a.630 OPS, he has stolen seven bases and scored 24 runs in 10 attempts.
Jones had an RBI and went 1 for 4 on Monday night. After being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning on Tuesday night, he left the game after going 2 for 3 with an RBI. Jones returned to the starting lineup for the game on Wednesday night.
Freeman is pals with Jones. They were taken out of their team’s spring training game lineups on the day of the transaction. They eventually discovered that they had been exchanged for one another after exchanging texts and phone calls.
We have movement
After Tommy John operated on Trevor Stephen’s right elbow in March 2024, the Guardians activated him from the disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Columbus, where he will continue to recuperate.
Stephan, whose second rehab assignment ended following his one-inning appearance for Double-A Akron on Tuesday, stated, “I’m trending in the right direction.” A bit more time has passed than we anticipated.
On Monday, Stephan reached 93 mph. By the conclusion of the season, he hopes to reach speeds of 95 to 96 mph.
No lefties for you
After hitting 3 for 4 with two home runs and three RBI in Tuesday’s victory, Kyle Manzardo was placed on the bench on Wednesday night. Manzardo had not had a three-hit game since the opening game of the regular season on March 27.
Given that Manzardo is a left-handed hitter and rarely faces left-handers like Colorado starter Kyle Freeland, manager Stephen Vogt’s decision was not shocking. When facing lefties, DH David Fry and switch-hitting first baseman Carlos Santana typically start.
“I believe it’s simply the composition of our roster at the moment,” Vogt remarked. We didn’t have David Fry, who is good at hitting lefties, so I believe Manzo saw some lefties early in the season.
Vogt tells Manzardo to just keep hitting.
Vogt advised Manzo to keep doing what he was doing in order to gain more playing time. And you may get the chance to play against both lefties and righties at some point.
However, the current composition of our team simply does not lend itself to regular playing time.
Lucky seven
Logan Allen, a lefty, went seven innings in Tuesday night’s 10-4 victory over the Rockies, earning him his eighth victory of the season. Since CC Sabathia was elected into the Hall of Fame this weekend, he is the first left-hander from Cleveland to have seven or more wins in his first three major league seasons.
Finally
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Lefty Doug Nikhazy, who made his big-league debut earlier this season with the Guardians, is on the 7-day injured list at Columbus with an impingement in his left elbow.
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Commissioner Rob Manfred met with the Guardians players for about 30 minutes Wednesday afternoon. Manfred tries to meet with each team annually during the season.
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It does not sound like anyone challenged the commissioner like Philadelphia s Bryce Harper did recently over the subject of a salary cap and the possibilities of it being introduced by the owners after the current basic agreement expires on Dec. 1, 2026.
