CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Guardians activated outfielder Lane Thomas from the injured list ahead of Thursday’s scheduled series opener against the Tigers in Detroit. In a related move, outfielder Will Brennan will be sidelined at least 10 days with left forearm inflammation, the club said.
Thomas missed 28 games after going on the injured list April 20 with a right wrist bone bruise that he suffered 12 days earlier during Cleveland’s home opener against the White Sox.
Thomas, 29, tried to play through the injury at the time, appearing in five more games before the decision was made to place him on the injured list. He was batting .156 with two RBI in 45 at-bats when he suffered the injury on a pitch from Chicago’s Shane Smith on April 8.
The Guardians went 15-13 with Thomas out of the lineup.
Thomas fractured the same wrist in August of 2019 while with St. Louis and missed the remainder of that season.
Thomas’ return coincides with the first meeting of the season between Detroit and Cleveland after he helped carry the Guardians’ offense to an American League Division Series win in October. Thomas hit .316 with a pair of home runs and nine RBI in 19 plate appearances over five games.
His Game 5 grand slam against Tarik Skubal was one of the series defining moments and launched Cleveland into the next round.
Brennan’s injury comes just as the outfielder had returned to Cleveland after spending his first 35 games at Triple-A Columbus. The Kansas State product hit .304 with the Clippers but managed just one hit in 11 at-bats with the Guardians after being called up on May 12.