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Guardians Officially Call-Up Promising Prospect In New Roster Moves
Columbus Clippers infielder C.J. Kayfus (12) runs to first base during the game against the Buffalo Bisons at Huntington Park on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Guardians Officially Call-Up Promising Prospect In New Roster Moves

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Tommy Wild  |  Last updated Aug 2, 2025 2:15 PM ET

The Cleveland Guardians have been busy with transactions over the last few days. Their recent roster moves came before Saturday’s showdown against the Minnesota Twins, which included calling up one of the top prospects in Cleveland’s organization.

Here is a breakdown of Cleveland’s latest moves.

C.J. Kayfus - Called Up for MLB Debut

The No. 5 overall prospect in Cleveland’s farm system is ready to make his MLB debut. The Guardians promoted C.J. Kayfus on Saturday, who will be starting in right field and hitting eighth in the lineup.

Kayfus is one of the most promising prospects in the Guardians’ system. The left-handed hitter has a .283/.367/.526 slash line with a 134 wRC+ at Triple-A this season.

Of course, it could take Kayfus some time to get comfortable at the big-league level, but he has the potential to be one of the best hitters in Cleveland’s lineup for years to come. 

RHP Carlos Hernandez - Added To MLB Roster

The Guardians made a pair of trades ahead of last Thursday’s deadline, but the only move that affected the 26-man roster was claiming RHP Carlos Hernandez off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.

The right-hander’s stats aren’t great this season, but he has a strong arm and a fastball with elite exit velocity. It will be interesting to see how the Guardians deploy Hernandez in the bullpen. 

OF Johnathan Rodriguez - Optioned To Triple-A

To make room on the big-league roster for Kayfus, the Guardians optioned OF Johnathan Rodriguez to Triple-A Columbus.

J-Rod has been swinging the bat better lately, including a .563 slugging percentage in his last seven games. However, it was going to be hard to get home at-bats with Kayfus now in the everyday mix.

Tim Herrin - Optioned To Triple-A

The Guardians also had to make a corresponding move to make room for Hernandez on the roster, which included optioning LHP Tim Herrin to Triple-A Columbus. 

This is now the second time Herrin has been optioned to the minors this season as he searches for some consistency on the mound.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage


This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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