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Hey, Hoynsie: How did Stephen Vogt let Austin Hedges bat in the eighth inning Wednesday against the Dodgers with the bases loaded and the Guardians trailing, 4-1? Some moves are even obvious to people who don’t know about baseball. — Martin Boron.
Hey, Matt: Letting Hedges hit with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth inning was an interesting decision not only because Hedges is hitting .113, but because he struck out.
When asked about it after the Guardians rallied for 7-4 win, Vogt said, “Austin is a good hitter. Austin is on our team. There are times when we pinch hit and times when we don’t. I had full faith in Austin to come through in that situation.”
Hedges was facing lefty Tanner Scott. Vogt, working with a short bench, had lefties Bo Naylor and Kyle Manzardo available. The right-handed hitting Lane Thomas, would have been a good choice in that situation, but he was unavailable because of plantar fasciitis.
Guardians catcher Bo Naylor.MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hey Hoynsie: What was Stephen Vogt’s reasoning for having catcher Bo Naylor bat second on Monday and Tuesday against the Dodgers? — John Kyle, Westfield Center, Ohio.
Hey, John: Vogt told reporters that Naylor had earned a shot at the second spot in the lineup by the way he’d been hitting of late. It also gave him another left-handed hitter at the top of the lineup against LA right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Dustin May.
The idea did not work as Naylor went 0 for 8 with five strikeouts. Vogt’s search for a No.2 hitter continues.
Hey, Hoynsie: Carlos Santana is a Gold Glove winner at first base, but might be a trade candidate later this summer. How does Kyle Manzardo’s defense compare to Santana this year? — Don Dohanyos, Escondido, California.
Hey, Don: Manzardo has shown flashes of being a solid first baseman, but lack of playing time over the last two seasons — he’s been blocked by Santana and Josh Naylor — hasn’t helped him.
Vogt often compliments Manzardo on the work he does before games at first base to stay in tune with the position.
Hey, Hoynsie: With all the technology available, do scouts still go to stadiums to evaluate talent, or do they rely on other means? — Jim Harris, Newark.
Hey, Jim: Teams still use scouts at the amateur and big league levels. There aren’t as many scouts doing advance work on upcoming opponents during the regular season. Teams handle that by video and analytics.
In preparation for the trade deadline and the postseason, you see more scouts at big-league ballparks.
David Fry has advanced to Triple-A Columbus in his rehab assignment.AP
Hey, Hoynsie: I saw David Fry say that he kept the ball from his first hit as a Class AA RubberDuck on his rehab assignment. I’ve got to wondering as a player progresses through the minors, do they collect balls for firsts? — C. Leach, Strongsville.
Hey, C: Yes, they do.
It’s just like a player keeping the ball from his first big-league hit or strikeout. For a lot of players, the firsts they get in the minors are the only firsts they get. A memory is worth keeping.
Hey, Hoynsie: The 2025 Guards seem to lack the energy they had in 2024 when they had team-leader Josh Naylor. Was it a mistake to trade Naylor to Arizona? — Gene La Suer, Des Moines, Iowa.
Hey Gene: The Naylor trade is still perplexing. But I don’t sense a lack of energy on the Guardians because of it.
Until late December, it seemed the organization was committed to keeping Naylor and letting him walk away as a free agent at the end of the year.
The performances of right-hander Slade Cecconi and first baseman Carlos Santana have helped offset the loss of Naylor. Cecconi, acquired from Arizona in the Naylor deal, has had two impressive starts. Santana, signed to replace Naylor, has matched Naylor’s six homers through Friday. Naylor holds a slight edge in OPS, .806 to .749.
Hey, Hoynsie: The Guardians’ schedule for June is brutal. By the time starting pitchers Shane Bieber and John Means return from their respective injuries, could it be too late to save the Guards season? — Andy Means, Sandusky.
Hey, Andy: Bieber and Means will get to Cleveland when they’re meant to get here. In the meantime, what do you want the Guardians to do skip June?
Hey, Hoynsie: Do all infielders wear the PitchCom device? — Jason, Dallas, Georgia.
Hey, Jason: Five players on the defense can wear the PitchCom device. That includes the pitcher and catcher and three fielders. The shortstop and second baseman almost always were them. The last one usually goes to the third baseman or centerfielder.
Hey, Hoynsie: Has any MLB pitcher who was relegated to the program that Triston McKenzie is on in Arizona ever made it back to the big leagues? — Bill Barkhuer, Peoria, Arizona.
Hey, Bill: The Guardians put McKenzie on the developmental list after he accepted his outright assignment to the minors. The developmental list was instituted in 2021 and has many uses, especially for younger players.
For instance, Paul Skenes was on the list before making his big league debut for the Pirates. Teams, however, have been sending pitchers/players to the minors to help them reset their careers for years.
Toronto sent Roy Halladay to the minors in 2001 to work on his delivery and mental approach. Starting at Class A Dunedin, Halladay appeared in 20 minor league games before resurfacing with the Blue Jays and becoming a Hall of Famer.
Halladay is the exception rather than the rule. McKenzie has to put his career back together. If it happens, it may not be with Cleveland. He can be a free agent at the end of the season.
McKenzie has started pitching for Cleveland’s team in the Arizona Complex League. So he’s off the developmental list, while trying to make it back to the big leagues.