Guardians Option Pair of Hitters to Triple-A Columbus

Manzardo, 26, has struggled to establish himself as Cleveland's everyday first baseman this season. Through 102 games, Manzardo is slashing .215/.306/.378 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI.

His struggles became even more evident during a difficult July. In 24 games last month, Manzardo slashed .141/.247/.296 with three home runs and nine RBI.

The Guardians' other option at first base, Rhys Hoskins, has not fared much better. Across 86 games this season, the 33-year-old is slashing .179/.312/.383 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI.

Hoskins also endured a rough July, slashing .140/.275/.419 with four home runs and five RBI in 17 games.

The struggles of both first basemen made the position a glaring weakness and one that needed to be addressed before the trade deadline. Cleveland hopes Lowe can continue his success against right-handed pitching this season, where he owns an .885 OPS, while Hoskins can find success in a platoon role against left-handed pitchers.

Meanwhile, Fry has struggled to a .182/.304/.336 slash line with six home runs and 13 RBI across 71 games in 2026.

Cleveland is banking on its major lineup shake-up to spark an offense that has struggled throughout the season. The Guardians rank tied for 28th in batting average (.231), 27th in home runs (109), and last in slugging percentage (.370). Their 446 runs scored are the second-fewest in MLB, with only the Toronto Blue Jays scoring fewer (442).

José Ramírez missing 31 games with a left hamate fracture that required surgery certainly did not help. However, even when healthy, Cleveland's franchise cornerstone has not looked like himself at the plate.

In 82 games this season, Ramírez is slashing an uncharacteristic .233/.331/.388 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI.

His offensive struggles, combined with the rest of the Guardians' issues at the plate, have played a major role in Cleveland's 57-56 record. While that mark is not terrible, it falls short of expectations after the club entered 2026 following back-to-back American League Central titles.

Entering Monday, the Guardians sit three games behind the Chicago White Sox (59-52) in the American League Central. They also hold a one-game lead over the Minnesota Twins (56-57) for the final American League wild-card spot.

Cleveland hopes its new-look offense can make an immediate impact when they open a series against the New York Mets on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. ET.