Guardians promote top prospect for Tigers series

Chase DeLauter, an outfielder with no major league experience, was included on the Cleveland Guardians‘ roster for their wild-card series against the Detroit Tigers.

Selected 16th in the 2022 amateur draft, DeLauter hit .278 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 34 games at Triple-A Columbus. He turns 24 on Oct. 8.

DeLauter was sidelined by injuries for much of this year. He was hurt during a pregame workout at spring training on Feb. 28 and had bilateral core muscle surgery on March 4 for a sports hernia.

After eight games at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians, DeLauter played his first game this year for Triple-A Columbus on May 23, but he stayed in the lineup only until July 12. He had surgery 11 days later to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist.

DeLauter could be the first player to debut in the postseason since 2020, when Tampa Bay pitcher Shane McClanahan, San Diego pitcher Ryan Weathers and Minnesota outfielder Alex Kirilloff all accomplished the feat.

Manager Stephen Vogt said DeLauter has been taking batting practice at the organization’s Arizona complex. DeLauter had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League.

“As we were talking through it and looking through the series with three games, we felt 11 pitchers was the right move,” Vogt said. “When we looked at at-bats, Chase was healthy, and he’s the best bat we have available to us. We thought it would be a good idea to get him on the roster.”

DeLauter is among seven left-handed bats on the Guardians’ bench and could come in to play center or right field.

Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said DeLauter’s promotion was not a surprise.

“You can’t get into the building and not be seen by somebody. So we had some time to talk. And we have some pitchers and position players who spent some time in Toledo this year as well,” Hinch said. “Our teams, not only are we sort of intimately close at the big league level, but in Triple-A, in Double-A, in Single-A. We play these guys coming up throughout. And so you’ll hear our hitters talk about facing these guys in Akron or facing these guys in Erie, along with Toledo and Columbus.”

The Tigers left off right-handers Chris Paddack and Tanner Rainey but included right-hander Paul Sewald for the best-of-three series that started Tuesday.

Yankees rookie catcher J.C. Escarra and pitchers Paul Blackburn and Will Warren made roster against the Boston Red Sox, while pitchers Luis Gil and Ryan Yarbrough were left off along with outfielder Austin Slater.

New York is carrying 12 pitchers and 14 position players. Escarra is the third catcher after Austin Wells and Ben Rice, giving manager Aaron Boone pinch-hitting and pinch-running options.

Warren is viewed as a better relief option than Gil, who averaged 5.2 walks per nine innings.

Boston included a pair of speedy potential pinch runners, infielders Nate Eaton and David Hamilton, and rookies left-handers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that right-hander Lucas Giolito will miss the series because of an ailing elbow.

Catcher Elias Díaz, who has a sore left oblique, was left off San Diego’s roster for its series at the Chicago Cubs, and the Padres included three catchers: Luis Campusano, Freddy Fermin and Martín Maldonado.

Rookie infielder Mason McCoy was on the roster, and left-hander Yuki Matsui was left off.

Chicago included rookie outfielder Kevin Alcántara and catcher Moisés Ballesteros but left off right-hander Javier Assad and catcher Miguel Amaya.