David

Fry

Manzardo sits for the sixth time in the last eight games with lefty Andrew Abbott toeing the rubber for Cincinnati on Tuesday night at Progressive Field. It’ll once again be veteran Carlos Santana at the cold corner with David Fry occupying the DH spot.

Manzardo has started only two of the last seven games for Cleveland. The 24-year-old first baseman has been ice-cold at the plate in recent weeks, hitting .186 (19-for-102) with three homers and one steal over his last 30 games. The numbers have been even scarier over his last seven games as he’s just 3-for-20 during that span. It’ll be Carlos Santana at the cold corner and David Fry at DH on Monday night against Reds veteran lefty Wade Miley.

The 29-year-old slugger tagged right-hander Shawn Dubin for a 361-foot (99.4 mph EV) solo shot in the sixth inning that trimmed the Guardians’ deficit to two runs at 4-2. That would be the extent of the scoring in the game. Fry also singled, drew a walk and struck out in the contest, reaching base safely in three of his four plate appearances. He has picked up right where he left off during his breakout 2024 campaign, slashing .300/.417/.600 with a homer and two RBI in his first 12 plate appearances.

With David Fry back in the fold, he’s the one starting as the designated hitter against left-hander Max Fried on Thursday evening, which leaves only one spot for Manzardo and Carlos Santana. It’s Santana starting at first base and batting fifth for the Guardians with Manzardo getting a night off. On the season, he’s slashing a meager .211/.300/.443 with 11 homers and 29 RBI.

Fry will make his season debut on Saturday against the Angels after missing the opening two months of the year recovering from offseason elbow surgery. The 29-year-old backstop was a key component of Cleveland’s surprising ALCS run last season, belting a career-high 14 homers in 122 games. His catcher-eligibility made him a mixed-league relevant option for fantasy managers in deeper formats.

Fry is 1-for-8 in his two games at Triple-A since having his rehab moved earlier this week. He has also yet to play the field in any of his eight rehab games, starting each of them at designated hitter. With Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana sharing first base and DH duties at the big league level, Fry is going to need to start playing the field somewhere for us to view him as anything more than a designated hitter against left-handed pitchers at the big league level.

Although Fry is months away from catching, he could be a DH option for the Guardians in a few weeks. He hit .263/.356/.448 in 392 plate appearances last season, but most of that success came against lefties and the Guardians figure to use him as a platoon guy for the most part.

Fry underwent Tommy John surgery in November. He could be ready to resume DHing around the time his 60-day stint is up in late May. He’s not expected to be an option behind the plate until much later in the year.

Fry underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his right elbow in November, and is expected to miss the first month-plus of the season. The 29-year-old was one of the most surprising positive developments in fantasy in 2024, and those who don’t invest early in the catching position may want to consider Fry as a late-round injury stash.

Ugh. This one is a significant development for fantasy managers as Fry will be sidelined until at least early May, even in a best-case scenario. The 28-year-old backstop was a key component of Cleveland’s surprising ALCS run this past season, belting a career-high 14 homers in 122 games. His catcher-eligibility made him a mixed-league relevant option in the late stages of 2025 fantasy drafts, but this latest development likely knocks him outside the top 20 backstops going into the year.