Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter received off to a blazing begin in his first full season following his MLB Debut final postseason.
The 24-year-old hit 4 house runs in Cleveland’s first three video games in opposition to the Seattle Mariners. Through May 6, DeLauter was slashing a formidable .308/.391/.550 with six house runs and 23 RBI.
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However, his subsequent 32 video games had been a distinct story. Over that span, DeLauter slashed .217/.280/.267 with one house run and 11 RBI. On June 17, he landed on the 10-day injured record, retroactive to June 14, due to a proper rib cage fracture. DeLauter suffered the harm on June 13 after crashing into the wall whereas making an attempt to make a catch in opposition to the Detroit Tigers.
Fortunately, DeLauter missed simply 11 video games and returned to the Guardians on June 28. Since then, DeLauter has showcased his excessive potential and emerged as Cleveland’s most dependable hitter.
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Across 12 video games since coming off the injured record, DeLauter is slashing a scorching .373/.396/.627 with three house runs and 11 RBIs. He has recorded successful in all however one sport and has a number of hits in seven contests.
Although Cleveland is simply 6-6 since DeLauter returned, their 4-7 report throughout his absence displays simply how essential he has change into to the Guardians’ lineup.
Cleveland is already with out star third baseman José Ramírez, who suffered a left hamate fracture in the identical sport DeLauter sustained his harm. Ramírez has not performed since June 13. Although he has begun hitting off a tee, the Guardians are unlikely to rush their face of the franchise again into the lineup.
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In the meantime, Cleveland will proceed to depend on its younger lineup, led by DeLauter, to strive to create separation from the Chicago White Sox atop the American League Central.
Yet the Guardians’ offense has struggled mightily during the last 4 weeks. Since June 16, Cleveland has hit simply .214 as a staff. That mark ranks forward of solely the Mariners (.205). During that span, the Guardians additionally rank twenty eighth in on-base share (.283), slugging share (.354), and runs scored (87).
DeLauter has completed his half when wholesome. However, the outfield stays a weak spot for Cleveland. Steven Kwan has massively underperformed in 2026, slashing .221/.331/.276 with one house run and 14 RBI over 87 video games. His struggles have dropped him to the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
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Those query marks in the outfield might immediate Cleveland to pursue reinforcements forward of the Aug. 3 commerce deadline. Nonetheless, even when the Guardians purchase outfield assist, DeLauter will stay one of many membership’s most essential gamers.
It is asking lots of a 24-year-old to anchor an offense. However, for a Guardians staff whose star is sidelined and in want of consistency, DeLauter is Cleveland’s best choice for the time being. His latest sizzling stretch has solely bolstered that.
The Guardians (49-46) enter Saturday tied with the White Sox (48-45) for the AL Central lead. Cleveland will look to clinch a collection win in opposition to the Miami Marlins on Saturday at 4:10 pm ET.
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This story was initially printed by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2026, the place it first appeared in the MLB part. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.