Cleveland Manager Acknowledges Guardians’ Struggles in Key Area
The Cleveland Guardians are facing a significant issue at the plate, particularly when it comes to facing left-handed pitchers.
While the Guardians have the talent to be a playoff contender, their roster has its flaws. One of the most glaring weaknesses was evident during their 5-1 loss to the Athletics in the series opener, where they struggled against lefty pitcher Jeffrey Springs. The Guardians managed just three hits in 7.1 innings of work from Springs.
After the game, manager Stephen Vogt didn’t shy away from discussing the team’s ongoing issues with hitting against left-handed pitching.
“We’ve had trouble with our right-handed hitters this season for a variety of reasons. Lane and David have both missed significant time, but overall, we’ve just been unable to get anything going against lefties,” said Vogt. “We did get a win against Robbie Ray recently, but it’s been a challenge overall. We’re still working on it, but it’s been a consistent issue.”
As of now, the Guardians are hitting just .221/.287/.329 with a .616 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Injuries to Fry and Thomas haven’t helped, but the team can’t rely solely on those two to carry the load against left-handed pitchers.
To address this, the Guardians might consider giving players like Daniel Schneemann or Kyle Manzardo more opportunities to face lefties, or even reorganizing the lineup when a southpaw is on the mound.
Cleveland’s next test against a left-handed starter comes on Sunday, with JP Sears slated to take the mound for the Athletics. It will be interesting to see if Vogt makes any lineup adjustments as the team continues to struggle in this critical area.
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