The Cleveland Guardians are getting some excellent news on the injury front.
Gold Glove-winning left fielder and leadoff hitter Steven Kwan, who had been on the shelf since early-May with a hamstring strain, is back in the Guardians lineup where he belongs, at the top.
“Steven Kwan is back and leading off for the Guardians tonight,” Guardians insider Zack Meisel tweeted.
The Guardians’ offense was able to hold down the fort while Kwan was gone and as a result, they lead the AL Central by a comfortable three-game margin over the Kansas City Royals.
Kwan, however, is needed as Cleveland’s schedule starts to get tougher.
His on-base skills, excellent contact ability, and incredible defense will all be welcomed on the Guards.
A steady presence on the bases, Kwan has been instrumental in the Guards’ offense.
He is also one of the big reasons behind Josh Naylor and, particularly, Jose Ramirez’s incredibly high RBI totals.
Kwan was slashing a cool .353/.407/.496 with a .903 OPS in 32 games at the time of suffering his hamstring injury.
He has met the team rehab standards and played in multiple minor league games before being activated.
To make room for Kwan on the roster, the Guards designated fellow outfielder Estevan Florial for assignment.
Now that they have Kwan again, Cleveland adds another dangerous, skilled hitter to an improving offense that in addition to boasting two premier run-producers in J-Ram and Naylor also has two exciting rookies (Johnathan Rodriguez and Kyle Manzardo), the surging David Fry, the steady Andres Gimenez, and unsung contributors such as Will Brennan and Tyler Freeman.
