CHICAGO — The Guardians want outfielder Chase DeLauter in the big leagues as much as the fans calling for his promotion do. However, they want the healthy version of their No.1 pick in 2022.

However, DeLauter, it has been learned, is playing through injuries right now at Triple-A Columbus. The injuries aren’t enough to keep him off the field, but they’re enough of a concern that the Guardians don’t want to promote him to the big leagues and then have to put him on the injured list in a week or two.

What the Guardians want to see is how DeLauter handles the aches and pains of playing as an everyday professional. Since being drafted, injuries have kept him off the field more than on it. The Guardians just want to see where he’s at physically and how he can handle the workload.

Right now, at Columbus, he’s on a program that has him DHing regularly and getting scheduled days off. That could conceivably be hard to do in the big leagues.

DeLauter is hitting .278 (35 for 126) with five homers, 21 RBI and a .859 OPS. He’s struck out 23 times and walked 22 times.

His performance has fluctuated and that could be because of his health. The left-handed hitting DeLauter batted .338 (25 for 74) with three homers and 14 RBI for Columbus in June. In July, he’s hitting .194 (6 for 31) with one homer and five RBI.

DeLauter, sidelined in big-league camp with a sports hernia that required surgery, didn’t start playing games until May. He hit .186 (8 for 43) with the ACL rookie league team and Columbus in May.

After being drafted in 2022, DeLauter didn’t start his professional career until 2023 because of surgery on his left foot. It was the same injury that cut short his final year at James Madison University.

DeLauter, after a breakout spring training in big-league camp, started the 2024 season at Double-A Akron, but again had foot-problems that limited him to 30 games for the RubberDucks. He was eventually promoted to Columbus but was limited to six games because of a right hamstring injury.

The Guardians could use some help in the outfield in general and right field in particular. Jhonkensy Noel was just optioned to Columbus. Johnathan Rodriguez is hitting .152 (7 for 46) with four RBI and Lane Thomas is on the injured list for the third time this season.

Nolan Jones, however, is starting to hit. Jones is hitting .312 (29 for 93) with a .393 onbase percentage and a .823 OPS since May 28.

It’s still unclear what the Guardians will do at the trade deadline on July 31. They are 14 games out of first place in the AL Central and five games out of the third and final wild card spot. But entering play on Saturday, they have the easiest schedule, based on the winning percentage of their opponents, for the rest of the season.

Perhaps that will influence what they do at the deadline, and who they might promote players from Columbus.

C.J. Kayfus is another prospect at Columbus who is being followed closely by the Guardians. The anticipated promotions of DeLauter and C.J. Kayfus are intertwined.

The Guardians feel DeLauter is a bit ahead of Kayfus, who is more a first baseman than an outfielder. Trying to fit them both on the 26-man roster this season could happen, but it will be difficult.

What about Luis Ortiz?

While Luis is being investigated for allegedly influencing prop bets while he pitching this season, the Guardians are treating him like a player who is on the injured list.

They have been told little about Ortiz’s situation, only that the investigation may end on July 17, the end of the All-Star break.

Left-hander Joey Cantillo was promoted from Columbus and has filled in well as Ortiz’s replacement in the starting rotation.

Another step for Shane Bieber

Shane Bieber was scheduled to throw another bullpen session this weekend. If all goes well, he’ll travel to the Guardians spring training complex in Goodyear, Arizona and throw in a game over the All-Star break.

Bieber, recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, threw a 41-pitch, three-inning live batting practice session Thursday in Cleveland. The Guardians were impressed with how he looked.

If MLB penalizes Ortiz, Bieber could be ready to rejoin the rotation sometime in August.

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