According to Mandy Bell of MLB.com, the Cleveland Guardians and outfielder Steven Kwan have agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.175 million to avoid arbitration. In 2024, Steven Kwan enjoyed the best season of his career as he posted a .292/.368/.425 line. He launched a career-best 14 home runs. He also swiped double-digit bags for the third straight campaign. This was a nice bounce-back compared to the .268/.340./.370 line he held in 2023. Last summer, he generated an impressive .284 xBA, which placed him in the 94th percentile among qualified hitters. In addition, the 27-year-old showed a great eye at the plate with a 9.4% K rate, 8.2% whiff rate, and 19.2% chase rate, which placed him within the 96th percentile among qualified hitters. Despite his lack of power, Kwan remains a top pick for batting average, given his elite contact skills.
Steven Kwan Extends Hit Streak To Seven Games In Loss
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored in Tuesday's 6-3 loss to the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALCS. Kwan has now hit safely in each of the seven postseason games that the Guardians have played, slashing .448/.500/.483 over that time. Unfortunately, so far in the ALCS, it has yet to translate into wins with Cleveland now facing a 2-0 deficit as they head back home for Game 3 on Thursday. Clarke Schmidt is slated to start for the Yankees and Kwan is 4-for-8 off of the righty in his career, so look for the 27-year-old to get the home crowd into it early as they try to claw their way back in the series.
The Cleveland Guardians activated outfielder Steven Kwan (back) from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday, and he is starting in left field and batting leadoff against Cincinnati Reds right-hander Jakob Junis at Progressive Field. The Guardians have to be happy to get one of their best hitters back in the lineup at the tail end of the regular season before the playoffs kick off next week. The 27-year-old has been sidelined with inflammation in his back since the middle of September. He has hit a strong .291/.364/.419 with a .783 OPS, 13 home runs, 43 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 475 at-bats in 2024, but Kwan hasn't looked as good since the All-Star break. He is currently riding a four-game hitting streak, but he also went 6-for-36 (.167) with two RBI, nine walks and eight strikeouts in 10 games in the month of September before going on the IL.
Guardians Place Steven Kwan On 10-Day Injured List
The Cleveland Guardians placed outfielder Steven Kwan (back) on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and selected the contract of outfielder Myles Straw from Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move. The Guardians also designated veteran right-hander Carlos Carrasco for assignment. The Guardians were hoping to avoid putting Kwan on the IL, but they made the move after the 27-year-old missed five straight games with back discomfort. The good news is that Kwan isn't dealing with any structural damage, so the hope is that he can return at the tail end of the regular season before the playoffs begin in October. Cleveland is starting Angel Martinez, Lane Thomas and Will Brennan in the outfield from left to right against Minnesota Twins right-hander Zebby Matthews. Kwan has hit .291/.364/.419 with 13 homers and 12 steals, so he'll be missed tremendously in the batting order over the next 10 days.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (back) remains out of the starting lineup for Monday's series finale against the division-rival Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Rookie Angel Martinez will make another start in left field and will bat leadoff against Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez. Kwan was scratched from Friday's lineup against the Tampa Bay Rays and missed the entire weekend series with what was originally called general body fatigue. It later surfaced that Kwan is dealing with back soreness, although it's not expected to be serious enough to land him on the injured list. After tests came back negative, Kwan was deemed day-to-day. Fantasy managers will need to keep him out of their lineups and check back to see if he's feeling good enough to play on Tuesday. In his first 33 big-league games this year, Martinez is hitting .241 (28-for-116) with three homers, nine RBI and three steals.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (back) was scratched from the starting lineup on Friday due to back soreness and missed the entire weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The good news is Kwan's scans came back clear, and the Guardians are hopeful he will avoid a trip to the injured list. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now and check back to see if he's active for the series opener on Monday at Progressive Field against the division-rival Minnesota Twins. The 27-year-old was initially listed with general body fatigue as the reason why he sat out over the weekend. The Guardians can ill-afford to lose Kwan down the stretch as they look to close out the year with a the American League Central title. Kwan is currently in the midst of a modest four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 5-for-13 with six walks, three strikeouts and a stolen base.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (fatigue) remains out on Sunday due to general body fatigue. The outfielder has been kept out of the starting nine all weekend due to minor fatigue. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day heading into next week. With the Guardians currently leading the AL Central, they will lean on the side of caution with their star outfielder before October. As a result, Angel Martinez will cover left field on Sunday afternoon and bat in the leadoff spot. Martinez went 0-for-3 yesterday but will continue to receive opportunities while Kwan remains out.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (undisclosed) has been scratched ahead of Friday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It sounds like Kwan is being pulled from the game due to body fatigue. This should be a minor issue that only keeps Kwan out for a day or two. In the meantime, Daniel Schneemann will play left field and bat leadoff against right-hander Zack Littell. Schneemann hasn't been much of a fantasy option with a .227 batting average and 21 RBI on the season.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan hit his 13th homer of the season in the team's 9-8 win over the Cubs on Monday. Kwan, long known as a contact hitter who does not strike out, has provided unexpected power this season. His 13 homers are more than he hit the last two full seasons combined (11 homers in 2022 and 2023 combined). With a slash line of .326/.386/.485 Kwan is having the most productive season of his career. At 26 years old, the breakout is not surprising but is still rewarding for fantasy managers who waited out an IL stint this season to see him return in a big way.
The Cleveland Guardians will give outfielder Steven Kwan a rest on Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kwan, second in the majors with a .334 batting average, is replaced in the lineup by rookie Angel Martinez, who is batting eighth in the order. Kwan is enjoying a breakout season that has seen him hit 11 homers, 32 RBI, 64 runs scored, and nine stolen bases in 13 attempts while also sporting a .392 OBP and a .487 slugging percentage. Daily fantasy managers will need to look elsewhere for production while fantasy managers in traditional formats will adjust to not having Kwan in the lineup for a night.
Steven Kwan
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Guardians
