Kyle Manzardo Scratched On Friday With Shoulder Inflammation
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo (shoulder) was scratched from Friday's Cactus League game against the San Francisco Giants due to left-shoulder inflammation. For now, we'll consider Manzardo to be day-to-day, but with Opening Day less than a week away, fantasy managers in deeper leagues should prepare for the possibility that the 24-year-old left-handed hitter may be forced to open the 2025 season on the injured list. We should have a better idea about his availability for the start of the regular season by the end of the weekend. The former second-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021 out of Washington State made his big-league debut in Cleveland last year and hit .234 with five home runs, 15 RBI and 41 K's in 53 games, but he looked better to close out the year and in the playoffs, and he should be a lineup regular as the DH in 2025. Manzardo has 20-25-homer upside.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo has been performing very well in spring training. Through 14 contests, Manzardo has posted an impressive .368/.415/.658 slash line with two doubles and three home runs. He has held a 2:10 BB:K and added seven RBI. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut last summer but posted a modest .234/.282/.421 line across 53 contests. He only went deep five times during this stretch and added 12 doubles. The Guardians typically deployed Manzardo on the strong side of a platoon. Earlier in the campaign, Manzardo held a .267/.393/.548 line with 20 doubles and 20 home runs through 83 contests at the Triple-A level. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status, but given his play in camp, he will likely open the season as the primary designated hitter against right-handed bats. Fantasy managers looking for a late-round power target should take a flier on Manzardo as he could eventually earn a full-time if he continues to develop.
Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo went 1-for-1 with a two-run shot during Monday's spring training contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Manzardo hit the home run against right-handed pitcher Josh Winder in the fourth inning. Last season, the 24-year-old made his MLB debut and spent 53 games with the Guardians. He posted a .242/.282/.421 slash line with 12 doubles and five home runs and was typically held out of the lineup when facing left-handed pitchers. He began to find his footing in September when he held a .270/.333/.540 slash line. The former second-round selection was viewed as one of the top first base prospects in the sport when progressing through the minor leagues. Manzardo held a strong .254/.369/.509 line across 177 career games at Triple-A. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his development, as he should have a good opportunity to crack the Opening Day roster.
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.
Kyle Manzardo
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Guardians
