The Cleveland Guardians have a brand new face on their roster for the AL Wild Card series against the Detroit Tigers.
That's right: Top prospect Chase DeLauter is in town, and when he gets into a game, it'll be his MLB debut, and it'll come in the postseason.
It's highly unusual, although not unheard of. DeLauter is eligible simply by having been in the Guardians' organization by August 31. He didn't have to play in MLB at all to get this chance.
The Guardians are pulling out all the stops to try and get past the Tigers.
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Why did Guardians wait until playoffs to use Chase DeLauter?
Injuries have kept DeLauter from debuting in the majors before now.
He played just 39 games in 2024, and this season, it's been just 42 games.
In July, DeLauter had surgery for a fractured hamate bone. He hasn't played a game since appearing for Triple-A Columbus on July 12.
“Obviously, the injuries have unfortunately not gone my way,” DeLauter told MLB.com. “Really, though, it's put the head down and go from there. … I’ve really learned how to just go day by day, and go from there, and just try to get my body right as best as I can and see what happens.”
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DeLauter has spent the last few weeks preparing to play in the Arizona Fall League. Apparently, the Guardians liked where he was at and decided to get his powerful outfield bat onto the playoff roster.
In the best-of-three Wild Card series, the Guardians likely need one fewer starting pitcher, so DeLauter is easy to fit onto the roster.
In his minor league career, DeLauter has hit .302 with an .894 OPS. Now's his chance to prove he can do it on the big stage.
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