David Richard-Imagn Images

Guardians Make Curious Carlos Santana Decision Before Astros Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 4:38 PM ET

Cleveland Guardians veteran Carlos Santana's trip down the Fountain of Youth is on pause.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt sat Santana against the Houston Astros on Saturday, one day after his impressive 14-game hitting streak ended. Santana went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Friday's 4-2 loss at Progressive Field.

Vogt instead started Kyle Manzardo at first and had perennial All-Star third baseman José Ramírez serve as the DH.

Although Santana turned 39 in April, he's nonetheless enjoyed a strong campaign as one of the league's oldest players. Santana entered Saturday hitting .256 with seven homers, 29 RBI, and a .747 OPS for the third-place Guardians.

Santana is already worth 1.5 bWAR, and he played 57 of Cleveland's first 62 games. Everything considered, that's excellent production for a player who debuted in June 2010, only a month before teammate Jhonkensy Noel's ninth birthday.

Ouch.

Santana has 331 career homers, placing him in a four-way tie for 121st with Tigers legend Hank Greenberg, ex-Chicago Cubs All-Star Derrek Lee, and unsigned veteran J.D. Martinez.

Cleveland sits at 33-29, half a game behind the inconsistent Toronto Blue Jays for the American League's third and final Wild Card spot. The Guardians trail the MLB-best Tigers by seven games in the AL Central.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: