Cleveland Guardians first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Manzardo is not in the starting nine for Game 5 of the ALCS. Manzardo has tallied a hit in each of the past three games in the ALCS but will take a seat as the Yankees send out southpaw Carlos Rodon in hopes of clinching the series victory. As a result, David Fry will serve as the designated hitter, and Josh Naylor will cover first base. During the postseason, the former second-round pick has carried an impressive .294/.294/.529 line with one home run and two RBI. Manzardo will likely be deployed as a pinch-hitter later in the game, but it is best to leave out of your DFS lineup as he may only get one at-bat.
Kyle Manzardo, Will Brennan Out Against A Southpaw
Cleveland Guardians rookie first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Manzardo and outfielder Will Brennan are both on the bench for Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Saturday at Progressive Field against the division-rival Detroit Tigers with left-hander Tarik Skubal on the mound. Skubal will most likely win the AL Cy Young award this year, so it makes sense for Cleveland to sit the lefty-hitting Manzardo and Brennan. David Fry is the DH and will hit second, while rookie Jhonkensy Noel will start in right field and bat sixth. It's tough to recommend any Guardians hitter against the dominant Skubal in DFS, but Fry certainly has more appeal than Noel. The 28-year-old was the hero in the Game 4 win on Thursday and has gone 3-for-11 with a homer, a double, five RBI, a walk, a steal and two runs scored in four postseason games for the Guards this year.
Cleveland Guardians rookie first baseman Kyle Manzardo is serving as the team's designated hitter and will bat out of the two-hole on Wednesday in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Comerica Park against the division-rival Detroit Tigers and rookie right-hander Keider Montero. In his only at-bat against Montero this year, Manzardo went down on strikes. The 24-year-old has entered as a pinch-hitter in each of the first two games of the Division Series against Detroit and has gone hitless in his two at-bats with one strikeout. The former second-rounder of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021 out of Washington State played in his first 53 big-league games in 2024 and slashed .234/.282/.421 with a .703 OPS, five home runs, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored. Manzardo will be a low-cost DFS sleeper on Wednesday in a position to do some damage in the two-hole.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo, catcher Bo Naylor and outfielder Will Brennan will all start on the bench for Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday versus the division-rival Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal. The Guardians are going to go with a right-handed-heavy lineup against the best pitcher in the AL this year in Skubal. David Fry is serving as the designated hitter and batting second, Austin Hedges is doing the catching and hitting eighth, and Jhonkensy Noel is in right field and in the six-hole against Skubal. Fry, a first-time All-Star in 2024 in just his second big-league season, is the most attractive DFS sleeper in this tough matchup. He hit .263/.356/.448 with an .804 OPS, 14 homers, 51 RBI and 44 runs scored in 122 games during the regular season. Fry has one hit in three career at-bats versus Skubal, while Hedges has gone 3-for-8 with an RBI and a strikeout.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Manzardo continued to produce offensively in Monday's 4-3 win over the Twins. Manzardo went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk. The 24-year-old rookie ambushed an eighth-inning Griffin Jax fastball, launching it into the right-field seats to put the Guardians ahead for good. Manzardo has looked solid since re-joining the team in September, slashing .278/.333/.583 with three HR in 36 at-bats. His playing time still hasn't been quite consistent enough, but he has provided plenty of fantasy value lately when he has been in the lineup.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo made a big impression in his first game back with the major league club, going 2-for-3 with a pair of solo home runs. Manzardo was recalled Sunday morning and immediately got to work, hitting the first two homers of his career. Manzardo is the Guardians No. 3 prospect and MLB's No. 51 according to MLB Pipeline, but he hasn't had much hype around his call up this time around, likely because he wasn't great in his first cup of tea in the majors. After hitting well in Triple-A, a game like this one is a good reason for fantasy managers to take a flier on Manzardo, especially in deeper formats.
Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Kyle Manzardo is serving as the designated hitter and will bat sixth for the Guards in his first game since being called up from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday at Progressive Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander Mitch Keller. Manzardo, the team's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is currently blocked at first base by Josh Naylor, but the 24-year-old left-handed slugger could see regular playing time at DH for Cleveland in the final month of the season, at least against right-handed pitching. In 30 games in the big leagues earlier this year, he hit only .207 (17-for-82) with no homers, 10 doubles, seven RBI and 23 strikeouts in 87 plate appearances. The power is real, though. In 83 games for Columbus, he had 20 long balls and 49 RBI while slashing .267/.398/.548 with a .946 OPS.
Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Kyle Manzardo is set to be promoted to the major league roster on Sunday when the rosters expand, according to Francys Romero. Manzardo earned a brief 30-game major-league stint earlier this summer and held a .207/.241/.329 slash line. However, during this stretch, he struggled to find consistent playing time. At Triple-A this season, the former second-round selection has held a solid .267/.389/.548 slash line with 20 home runs, 20 doubles, and an excellent 61:67 BB:K. With Josh Naylor serving as the first baseman in Cleveland every day, Manzardo will likely only serve as the designated hitter. Given his strong production at Triple-A, he is worth adding in deeper leagues, but he could be left on the waiver wire in shallow formats for the time being until he earns a consistent lineup spot.
Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Kyle Manzardo has continued to showcase his elite upside through August at Triple-A Columbus. Since August 1, Manzardo has posted three multi-hit games with a .429 SLG. Through August he has gone deep twice and held a 7:10 BB:K ratio. Overall, in his first extended look at Triple-A pitching, the number-two ranked prospect in Cleveland has held a solid .269/.399/.550 line with 16 long balls, 41 RBI, and a 50:51 BB:K ratio. Manzardo earned a brief stint in the big leagues earlier this season and held a disappointing .207 AVG through 30 games. Given his production at Triple-A, Manzardo could take a significant step forward in his next look at the major leagues.
Kyle Manzardo Crushes Fourth Homer In Past Five Games
Cleveland Guardians first base prospect Kyle Manzardo went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and three walks on Sunday for Triple-A Columbus. Manzardo has four homers in his past five games as he continues a hot stretch for Columbus following his return from a stint with the big league club in Cleveland. The 23-year-old spent 30 games with the Guardians and hit .207 with no homers and seven RBI. It was a bit of a struggle for Manzardo in his debut call-up but he has gotten back to crushing the ball at Triple-A. If he continues to mash with Columbus he could return to the big leagues with renewed confidence. He is a premium prospect worth monitoring closely as he tries to make his case for another shot with the Guardians this season.
Kyle Manzardo
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