CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland baseball fans collectively winced last week when Travis Bazzana, the Guardians’ prized No. 1 overall draft pick, pulled up after a swing during a game in Bowie, MD. The diagnosis that followed wasn’t what anyone wanted to hear.

“Bazzana on a swing, felt something kind of pull in his side. And when he got back to Cleveland, underwent some testing and they found out that he has an internal oblique strain. He’s going to miss eight to 10 weeks,” Joe Noga explained on the latest Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.

The injury adds Bazzana to an unfortunate list of sidelined top prospects in the Guardians’ farm system. Chase DeLauter continues his recovery from sports hernia surgery, while Jaison Chourio deals with a shoulder issue. That’s Cleveland’s top three minor league prospects — according to MLB Pipeline — all on the shelf simultaneously.

But could this enforced break actually benefit Bazzana in the long run?

“This sort of allows him to take a step back, maybe pump the brakes on expectations,” Noga proposed during the podcast. “Maybe it allows him to just take the foot off the gas a little bit.”

The buzz around Bazzana has been electric since Cleveland made him the franchise’s first-ever No. 1 overall selection. The pressure of being “the guy” comes with extraordinary expectations, including whispers about a possible big-league debut this season. This injury might provide a natural cooling period for that hype train.

Paul Hoynes agreed with this perspective: “He can always make these at-bats up. He can go to the Arizona Fall League after the season. He could still come back and have a strong second half, hopefully.”

Before the injury, Bazzana was making his mark at Double-A Akron with a .252 batting average, five doubles, three triples, four homers, and 17 RBIs. His .795 OPS showed the power potential that made him the top pick in the first place.

The timing of the injury, while never ideal, does give Bazzana options to recapture development time later this year. It also provides a valuable learning experience for the young prospect.

“It teaches him a little bit about his body,” Hoynes noted. “If you’ve been around Bazzana, he seems like a guy that’s going up 200 miles an hour. He doesn’t take a backward step.”

The only real concern is ensuring this doesn’t become a pattern. The last thing Cleveland needs is another injury-prone top prospect, similar to the challenges they’ve faced with DeLauter.

Want to hear the full discussion about Bazzana’s injury and recovery prospects? Check out the latest episode of the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast for deeper insights into the Guardians’ farm system and how this setback might actually turn into a stepping stone for their top prospect.

Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.

Podcast transcript

Joe Noga 0:04Welcome back to the Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. I’m Joe Noga, joined by Paul Hoyns. Hoynsy, the Guardian’s going to try and get a game and a half in today in once again rainy Minnesota. Looking out the the window here. It’s not coming down at the moment, but it is definitely not dry out there.Out there should be a real struggle to try and get the makeup of the resumed game started and finished starting in the 4th inning and then start a whole new game, hopefully sometime in the 1:00 hour 2:00.Eastern If we can get two games in here, then the Guardians only have to play one doubleheader when they come back in September. But if not, then you know you’re looking at a a a big packed full of important games series later on at the end of the season when these two meet.

Paul Hoynes 0:58Yeah, Joe, I was thinking, you know, this would have been a great opportunity to play three games in one day if the weather was a little better. You know what they do that they did that like about 2025 years ago. They played three games, had a progressive field in one day, the White Sox came in, then they had a make up with.

Joe Noga 1:03Uh.

Paul Hoynes 1:18Make up game and then they had a double header against the Twins on the same that later that night they had to play those games. They were going down to stretch and they you know it wade into the postseason. I was thinking they could play the the suspended game today and then have a day nighter or or you know a traditional double header.Today, but I don’t think the weather, the weather, you know, we’re going to be fortunate if they get one, much less two games in today.

Joe Noga 1:45Well, all they need is is 2 games or two innings off the top here to make Monday night games. Monday night’s game official. Right now, the Guardians trail that game two to one in the top of the 4th inning. Kyle Manzardo coming to the plate and he’ll be facing Joe Ryan.The Twins starter, who is going to pitch a kind of a surprise move by the Twins that they’re going to to pitch one of their starters in the resumption of this, this suspended game. We don’t quite know yet who the Guardians are going to throw out there. That’s usually one of those.You know, last minute kind of confirmation type things where we’re sitting in the press box and we kind of see who’s going out to the the bullpen to warm up. Several candidates for Cleveland could be Kobe Allard, could be Jacob Junus.Judas, a guy who’s, you know, pitched in rules like that before. Allard, a guy who’s been pretty effective in multi-inning appearances this year for Cleveland. You know, if you had to guess who you, who do you think they would throw out there based on who pitched most recently, which would be Allard pitched on Sunday.June is pitched on Saturday or you know, do they go Joey Cantillo or somebody like that?

Paul Hoynes 3:08Yeah, those are three of the those are the three names that jumped out to me, Joe. I would prefer they go with Allard. That gives them a better chance to win. I think at this point to me, Cantillo and Junus are both struggling a little bit, but you know they they enter the game with a a def. They’re staring at A21 def.And I don’t know if that changes how vote will work as pitching staff for this suspended game.

Joe Noga 3:35Yeah, and you know, I, I, I don’t know what if if they have to keep the lineup the same or if they have the opportunity to to move guys around. But I know Manzardo was the guy who was due up next at the plate. So we’ll, you know, interesting that that they’re going to play sort of an abridged version of this game.From the 4th inning on and you know all they need to do is get in an inning and a half before it becomes an official game. So if they do that and the skies open up, which is a is a possibility where we’re getting, you know, high, high probability of spot showers throughout the day. It could be a long day at the ballpark here, just trying to get in as much baseball.Well, as they possibly can.

Paul Hoynes 4:15Yeah, Joe, I think they do have to keep the lineups pretty much the same, except for the pitchers.

Joe Noga 4:20Yeah.And both teams will be afforded a 27th man for the second game. We don’t know who the the Guardians have have called up or brought up, but we’ll find out once we get to the ballpark. You know, interesting list of candidates there that that you know could be.Possibilities. I know Andrew Walters, who’s, you know, still recovering from an injury he pitched yesterday in Columbus. So I I doubt they would, they would bring him up. But you know, there’s some names down there in Columbus, guys who who haven’t yet made their debuts, who, you know, I’m thinking about a guy like a Nick.Wright, who’s, you know, recovered from whatever injuries he had in spring training and you know he’s sitting there ready to go. You know, don’t know what the possibilities are with that, but kind of a a crummy way to make your Major League debut would be, you know, to to sit around all day during a double header in in Minnesota and then.You know, maybe not even get into a game.

Paul Hoynes 5:23Yeah, one way or the other, Joe, you if you’re if you’re a guy that’s never made it to the big leagues, you want to get your foot in the door. So he might be complaining, but I don’t think he’d be complaining too loud if if he got to the big leagues and he just sat there and waited for a while.

Joe Noga 5:39Yeah, so we’ll we’ll keep an eye on who the the Guardians bring up as their 27th man and let you guys know as soon as possible. Hoinsey, the news not great of, you know, Guardians camp concerning their number one overall pick from last year, Travis Pisana.We’ve been following his injury since Wednesday of last week when they were in Bowie, MD, taking on the Chesapeake Bay Sox. Bazana on a swing, felt something kind of pull in his.Right side and when he got back to Cleveland, underwent some testing and they found out that he has an internal oblique strain. He’s going to miss 8 to 10 weeks and that’s definitely a huge blow for Bazana and you know, to the organization now.That has all three of its top three minor league prospects, according to MLB Pipeline, on the shelf with some sort of injury or another. Chase de Lauder, still recovering from sports hernia surgery. Jason Cheerio. He’s sidelined with a shoulder injury.Where does this put the Guardians in terms of their development and their farm system when their top three guys are all all sidelined with injuries?

Paul Hoynes 7:02Well, there’s a setback, Joe. I I think it’s not a serious setback. You know, obviously, you know, some developmental time is lost, but the Lauder, you know, has been playing in the Arizona complex. I mean, yeah, the Lauder’s been playing in the Arizona Complex league, shown some.Progress there. So that’s a good sign. Pisana, unfortunately, you know, with those oblique injuries, you know, this is 8 to 10 weeks. So this is a this is a significant one, but it’s not career threatening. I mean, the good thing is Pisana was really playing well, Joe, and he was hitting.252 to 32 for 127 at at Akron. And you know, not a great average, but you know there was some pop behind it. 5 double s, 3 triples, 4 homers, 17 RBI’s. He scored twenty-nine runs. He stole 8 bases and.Nine attempts, 362 on base percentage, 795 OPS, you know. So this guy was putting his best foot forward, Joe, and it’s just going to take time now, but you know, fortunately it’s not something that’s going to.You know, set him back significantly and Cheerio that they said was was not a major shoulder injury and you know, but you always have to be careful with shoulders, you know, especially, you know, outfielders, pitchers, you know that rely so much on their arms.

Joe Noga 8:34Right. Yeah, I my question about Pisana, maybe could this be sort of one of those silver lining type injuries where, you know, we’ve heard so much. He’s the number one overall pick. He’s the franchise’s first number one overall pick. There’s all this pressure and all this, you know, talk about, you know, could he be up?Here by by September or at some point this year. And this sort of allows him to take a step back, maybe pump the brakes on expectations, you know, external expectations from from fans, from media, from anybody.Maybe it allows him to just take the foot off the gas a little bit and you know, the guy that who comes back on the other side of this injury, you know, might be even better than as advertised beforehand. And you know, maybe this is a a a blessing to sort of reset that timetable for him a little bit.And you know, he just goes out there and performs and you get a better version of Travis Pisana at some point down the road.

Paul Hoynes 9:37Yeah, good point, Joe. And you know, he can always make this, these, these at bats up. He can, you know, go to the Arizona Fall League after the season. He could still come back and have a strong second-half, hopefully. And you know, it teaches him a little bit about his body, Joe.

Joe Noga 10:03Yeah.Yeah.

Paul Hoynes 10:03Doesn’t he? I mean, he doesn’t take, he doesn’t take a backward step. So now, you know, he kind of learns, OK, you know, there are limits to my to my body. I’m young, I’m strong, I’m fast, but my body will show some creaks and groans when I push it too hard. So it’s it’s a good lesson for him on a number of.Number of fronts.

Joe Noga 10:24Yeah, the only thing that you don’t want to see this develop into is he becomes an injury prone prospect. One of those guys, you know, sort of like the number two guy on the list behind him in Chase de Lauder, who when he’s healthy, you see all the flashes, you see all the signs.That he’s going to be a tremendous prospect, but he’s never on the field enough for for him to to make those advances towards the big leagues, which is the case that we’ve seen with Pisana. But you know from all reports and and what we’re seeing indications are that his.His time in the Arizona Complex League recovering from this injury, this latest sports hernia surgery is is close to ending or has ended and he could be joining the the Columbus Clippers.In AAA very shortly. If that’s the case, you know he’s he’s probably only a couple of months maybe away from, you know, maybe an August debut, maybe a a a late July debut. If if things keep going the way they’re going offensively for the Guardians, they need somebody who can hit the ball the way.That that chase the water does.

Paul Hoynes 11:35Yeah, you know, the question in right field, it just is keeps getting bigger and bigger, Joe, who is going to step up and provide some offense from that position. Delauder, like you said, according to reports, will be, you know, moving to AAA Columbus and the big thing with.Lotter, Joe, like you said, I mean, this guy’s got to stay healthy. He’s got to play, you know, a month, a month and a half. He’s got to play 3040 games consecutively where he can stay healthy, can put up some numbers, and then the front office can take a look and say, is he ready and do we want to bring him up? Is there?Is there a need? Is there an opening? How are we going to use them? But first and foremost, this guy has to stay off the IL, which is something he hasn’t been able to do since they made him a number one draft pick.

Joe Noga 12:29Right. OK, Speaking of staying off the IL, the the good news out of Akron yesterday, David Fry making his debut at the AA level on a rehab assignment from Cleveland. He told reporters that he would be there all week playing every other.Day as Fry and the Rubber Ducks took on the Altoona curve. His second at bat of the day sent a line drive into center field for a base hit. Later in the game, a pop foul down the right field line and that was enough.Deep enough to get a run home from 3rd on a sack fly. He also had a strikeout in the game, but just seeing David Fry, seeing video of David Fry out there on the field swinging the bat has to be a relief and a good sign for Stephen Vogt and the rest of the Guardians who.Desperately need his bat back in the lineup. What do you make of David Fry’s debut at Akron on Tuesday?

Paul Hoynes 13:37All positive, Joe. Definitely a positive step. Like you said, they need him back, not only on the field, but in the clubhouse. He’s he’s one of those guys that he never has a bad day. He’s, you know, 100, you know, the sun, the sun is always shining when David Fry comes into the clubhouse.And he he lifts the team up. He was, you know, he he came up big at the biggest time of last season in the postseason against Detroit and the Yankees. This is a guy they need back in the lineup, Joe. But my question is, you know, since he he’s going to be limited, obviously he can only DH because of the.He can’t throw because of the Tommy John surgery on his elbow. How do they use him, Joe? I mean, how would you use him? Is he going to cost Manzardo at at bats? You know, because you can only DH him.

Joe Noga 14:30Yeah, I think you’re going to need to to distribute the loss of at bats between Manzardo and Carlos Santana. I think when David Fry comes back, I think he might be the solution to your number two problem and the in the lineup.You put him at DH and #2 in the lineup between Stephen Kwan and Jose Ramirez, and that seemed to work out pretty nicely for the Guardians last season. Stephen Vogt is very comfortable putting David Fry in that number two spot.I think you’re going to see a lot of it when he does finally make it back to the Major League club. And if that means that Kyle Manzardo sits an extra day or or Carlos Santana at age 39 gets more days off than he might be accustomed to, I think that.You know, could be what happens there. It’s also, you know, not a it’s not like if you put that line up out there, it’s going to be the line up at the end of every game. Kyle Mansardo is going to get at bats. They might not just be at bats in the starting line up. He could come off the bench and and sub, you know the way.That we know the way that Steven Vo uses his bench personnel. It’s by the end of the game, everybody who’s there is who’s healthy and able-bodied is is probably in the game in one one way or another. So it’s not like there’s a complete loss of opportunity there. It’s just you might not be in the starting lineup every day.

Paul Hoynes 16:01Yeah, I like what you said there, Joe. I mean, maybe we see this means more Mansardo at first base and a couple more off days for Santana. But I I want to keep Mansardo in the line up every day. He’s leading the team in RBI’s. He’s leading the team in home runs. This is a young guy that needs to play.

Joe Noga 16:08Mhm.

Paul Hoynes 16:20I I think he got platooned enough last year. This is a guy that’s I think has earned the right to to play, you know, 5-6 times a week.

Joe Noga 16:30Well, and then you know that that might be part of the strategy in signing a thirty-nine year old Carlos Santana is that knowing that early on in the season you were going to have a need there at first base. But then as the season you know went on there would be more more of a rotational opportunity there for him and and that might.That preserves him and and keeps him healthier and and you know a little more pep in his step as as the season goes on. I know Carlos does a great job in keeping his body in shape and and you know staying ready and and that he wants to play every day. But you know not every 39 year old in the league can play every day and and that’s what Carlos.

Paul Hoynes 17:07But.

Joe Noga 17:09is trying to do.

Paul Hoynes 17:11Yeah, good point, good point. And we’ll see how this shakes out. But first Fry has to, you know, go through the the steps of his rehab assignment. He’s got a he’ll start at AA, then I’m sure what in a week, week and a half. If things go according to plan, he’ll be a AAA and then we should, we could see him hopefully.Before the All-Star break in Cleveland.

Joe Noga 17:34Yeah. And the and the nice thing there is that you know the results haven’t haven’t skipped a beat. I mean he gets a in in just a second at bat, he he lines a ball into center field. I mean this is a guy who can still hit Major League pitching when he gets back up here and it’s going to be you know something that that these guys definitely.We definitely need the punch in the lineup. Speaking of getting punched back in the lineup, Lane Thomas, I believe he went 0 for two last night, a couple of walks, but Lane Thomas getting ever closer to a return for Cleveland. Another guy that when he comes back, they’re going to have to find a place for him.

Paul Hoynes 18:14Yeah, no doubt about it. I think we talked about this yesterday on the podcast. Do you play him in center field where he opened the season for you or do you move him to right field where you have kind of a, you know, a jumble of players and none of them are producing? Or do you, you know, keep Angel or Angel Martinez?In center field and put Thomas in right. So you’ve got some options there and we’ll have to wait and see how they juggle that. But you know they need, they need the Thomas that came that got hot in September, last September, Joe, they need him and they need him very badly.This line up.

Joe Noga 18:54Yeah, especially again, you know, facing a a four-game series upcoming against Detroit, they could definitely use a guy like him, you know, hitting at the sort of the peak of his powers. What do you make of, you know, the rumors and the talk and speculation about CJ Kifas? You know, he’s the guy who’s the.Hot hitting a hot ticket down at AAA Columbus right now. It’s his second stop this year, I guess in the minors. And is he a solution right now that they could be looking at or is this somebody who you kind of want to see maybe develop a little bit more at the AAA?Level before you make a decision on whether or not he can help you.

Paul Hoynes 19:37Joe, I I just, you know, I you we both have a feel for how this front office operates. You know, Kife has just got promoted from AA to AAA. You know, he he really doesn’t have a whole lot of at bats.I think the rush to judgment is to bring him up and you know he’s the latest the new shiny toy in the in the pipeline and you bring him up right away. I you know I just don’t see them doing that. I I I’d be surprised if if they did I I’m you know I don’t know.What? How they feel about him. You know, he’s playing some right field. He’s, you know, a first baseman by trade, right? Or first base or catch. No, the first baseman by trade. Yeah. And so I know he’s hitting 355, but to me, I think you’ve got to keep him down at AAA for.

Joe Noga 20:20Right. Yeah, he’s a first baseman.Mhm.

Paul Hoynes 20:33For long for a little longer, you know this would be a perfect guy if if you could expand the roster to 40 like they used to be able to in September that you bring up and take a look at. But to bring him up right now and say you’re going to save this lineup, I think that would be a mistake.

Joe Noga 20:50Yeah, I don’t think that there’s any, you know, one or two magic pill sort of roster moves that they can make right now and especially any that include CJ Kifas that you could say, Oh well, you know, they have to make these moves right now to to to to sort of.Fix this this offense. I don’t know that that that CJ Kifas is that move and I certainly don’t think that the the front office as the way sort of their history and their the way that they operate is is open to a kind of a move like that. I think you know anybody who who sort of.Postulates that sort of idea. You know, might need to talk to a few more people before they they get that idea out there. Anyways, so Kifas, you know, hitting like a like a demon down in AAA and.Thomas and and De Lauder also keep an eye on Columbus as the the week unfolds. Maybe maybe we’ll get to see a little bit more of those two guys this the rotation as far as the the starting pitching goes.Here in Cleveland with, you know, Gavin Williams is going to go in game two of the doubleheader today that pushes things back. We’re assuming Tanner Bybee will pitch the opener in Detroit, followed by Slade Sacony making his second start.For the Guardians on Friday, Luis Ortiz and Logan Allen over the weekend in Detroit, you know, is this a good thing that, you know, maybe they get Tanner Bybee lined up against the the Tigers in a in a series where they really need to put their best pitching foot forward?

Paul Hoynes 22:36Yeah, I think that is. He’s your number one. He’s your ace. You’re you’re coming into Detroit playing the team with the best record in the big leagues, the team that’s threatening to run away with the AL Central division, a division that you’re a member of.You get to pitch your ace in in the first game. Yeah, that’s that’s an advantage, I would think. But you know, obviously you can’t get ahead of yourself, Joe. They got to take care of business. But having Bybee at Comerica Park against the Tigers, if you’re if you’re the Guardians, you can’t ask for anything more.

Joe Noga 23:13Yeah, it’s it’s pretty much the the ideal setup. All right, Hoinsey, that’s gonna take take us to the end of today’s Cleveland Baseball Talk podcast. We will check in tomorrow and we’ll talk to you then.

Paul Hoynes 23:28Good deal, Joe.