Cleveland Guardians catcher David Fry (elbow) has been cleared to take dry swings. The 29-year-old is recovering from UCL surgery. Fry was recently placed on the 60-day injured list which will keep him sidelined through at least May 26. However, seeing him begin to take swings, could suggest he may be able to see time as a designated hitter sooner than expected. He will be unable to take the field defensively this season. Last summer, Fry enjoyed a breakout season as he logged a career-high 122 games with a .263/.356/.448 line. He went deep 14 times and added 18 doubles. He generated a solid .326 xwOBA and drew walks at an above-average 10.7 percent rate. When he is cleared to return to the lineup, he will be deployed exclusively as a designated hitter, which will limit his playing opportunities. He will compete for starts alongside prospect Kyle Manzardo and Jhonkensy Noel.
The Cleveland Guardians placed catcher David Fry (elbow) on the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. This move was eventually coming after Fry had surgery to fix a torn ligament in his right elbow last November. At the time of the surgery, the 29-year-old was expected to need six to eight months of recovery. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to make his 2025 debut when he's eligible to come off the 60-day IL in late May. Because of the nature of his elbow surgery, he will strictly be in play for the Guardians as a designated hitter whenever he's able to return. The former seventh-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana was a first-time All-Star in 2024 by hitting .263/.356/.448 with an .804 OPS, 14 homers and 51 RBI in 122 games. Fry has multi-position eligibility and could be useful in fantasy when he returns, but don't count on a repeat of 2024.
According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, Cleveland Guardians catcher David Fry (elbow) could return to the batter's box in May or June. Meisel noted that given Fry's recovery process from Tommy John, he will not be able to contribute defensively but should be able to return to the batter's box early into the season. Fry underwent this operation in November. After only operating a rotational piece in 2023, Fry enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, as he held a .263/.356/.448 slash line with 18 doubles and 14 long balls. He swiped four bags and tallied 51 RBI. Fry also saw starts at several positions, including behind the plate, third base, the outfield, and first base. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during spring training. When he does return to the lineup, he will only see time as a designated hitter, which could limit his starts. However, given his production last season, he could be worth a look in deeper formats.
David Fry To Miss 6-8 Months After Having Elbow Surgery
Cleveland Guardians catcher/outfielder/designated hitter David Fry (elbow) is expected to miss six to eight months after undergoing surgery to fix the UCL in his right elbow. Fry is expected to initially return as a full-time DH, as it's going to take him a full year to return to playing the field. It was an injury that he suffered way back in June, but Fry played through it the rest of the way and was a first-time All-Star in 2024 in his first full MLB campaign, slashing .263/.356/.448 with an .804 OPS, 14 home runs, 51 RBI, four stolen bases and 44 runs scored in 122 games played for Cleveland. The 28-year-old right-handed hitter was mostly the Guardians' DH in the second half of the season after his injury. However, it remains to be seen if Fry will have similar success in 2025 after coming off a pretty serious procedure. It should at least have fantasy managers hesitant to invest at his elevated cost.
Cleveland Guardians catcher/outfielder/designated hitter David Fry (elbow) is scheduled to meet with Dr. Keith Meister next week about his right elbow. Surgery could be on the table for Fry after he injured his right elbow in late June, after which he played just one game on defense (at catcher) the rest of the regular season and playoffs. If the 28-year-old requires surgery, he could be in danger of missing the start of the 2025 campaign, depending on the exact nature of the operation. The former seventh-rounder by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 out of Northwestern State University of Louisiana was a first-time All-Star in 2024 in his second year in the majors after slashing .263/.356/.448 with 14 homers and 51 RBI in 122 regular-season games. Fry went 8-for-28 (.286) with two homers, a double, and four runs scored in 10 games in October.
Cleveland Guardians utility man David Fry came up huge once again, hitting a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th to give the Guardians a 7-5 victory over the New York Yankees. After some dramatics in the late innings, Fry gave Cleveland their first win of the ALCS with a moonshot off Clay Holmes. This is the second time the 28-year-old has hit a clutch homer in these playoffs, with the first coming in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers. Fry will remain an integral part of the Guardians' offense for as long as they stay in the postseason, something that not many people would have guessed before this season.
David Fry Smacks Massive Two-Run Homer Late In Game 4
Cleveland Guardians utility man David Fry came up with a clutch pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 4 of their ALDS matchup against the Detroit Tigers, leading the team to a 5-4 victory. It was Fry's only at-bat of the game, and he made the most of it. The homer came with the Guardians down 3-2 and probably saved their season. As a guy who can play several positions and swings a pretty solid bat, Fry will likely see the field in Game 5, whether it be starting the game or coming in as a pinch hitter.
Cleveland Guardians catcher/outfielder/designated hitter David Fry is out of the team's starting lineup on Tuesday as they go for the series sweep over the division-rival Detroit Tigers. Rookie Jhonkensy Noel will also get a day off to make way for Lane Thomas to make his debut with the club. Jose Ramirez is serving as the DH and is batting third, while Tyler Freeman starts at third and hits in the seven-hole against Tigers left-hander Tyler Holton. Fry made the All-Star squad for the first time in his career in 2024 and is having an amazing year, hitting .286/.391/.449 with an .839 OPS, eight homers, 35 RBI and four steals in 234 at-bats as the team's primary DH. He's struggled a bit since the All-Star break, though, going 13-for-60 (.217) with a double, three RBI and 17 strikeouts in 21 games played.
Cleveland Guardians catcher/outfielder/third baseman David Fry is out of the starting nine on Sunday as the Guardians look to clinch a series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. Fry has begun to lose playing time over the past few weeks. He has made only four starts over the past eight games. The 28-year-old began the season with a strong .256 AVG in April and a stellar .383 AVG in May. Since then, he held a .246 AVG in June and a much lower .107 AVG in July. The Northwestern State product is still worth holding onto in deeper leagues as he has made starts in several defensive positions, which makes him valuable from a lineup construction standpoint. As a result, Jose Ramirez will shift to the DH spot, Daniel Schneemann will cover the hot corner, and Bo Naylor will start behind the dish. The Guardians have a tougher matchup this afternoon against Tampa Bay right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who has posted a 2.40 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across his past three starts.
Cleveland Guardians catcher/outfielder David Fry will start on the bench on Friday against the hosting Tampa Bay Rays. Fry came out of nowhere in 2024 and began the year like gangbusters at the plate, but regression is rearing its ugly head lately. The 28-year-old is hitless in his last three games and has gone 3-for-27 (.111) with a double, RBI, four walks and eight strikeouts in 10 games since June 29. The recent cold stretch at the plate has dropped his season line to .288/.395/.480 with an .875 OPS, eight home runs, 33 RBI and 29 runs scored in 70 total games in just his second year in the big leagues. Fry is still having a strong campaign and was voted to his first career All-Star game. In his place on Friday, Angel Martinez is serving as the designated hitter and is batting second against Rays right-hander Taj Bradley.
