CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians made roster adjustments on Sunday, sending Jhonkensy Noel back to Triple-A Columbus after a challenging start to the season. Noel, who delivered a crucial home run that tied Game 3 of last year’s American League Championship Series, had been struggling at the plate. In 46 games, he posted a .146 batting average with two home runs and nine RBIs.
Despite being part of the Opening Day roster, Noel found limited success, often on the weaker end of a right-field platoon. This resulted in just 103 at-bats for the powerful right-handed batter. Guardians’ manager Stephen Vogt acknowledged the difficulties Noel has faced, stating, “It hasn’t been the start to the season that he would have liked or that we would have liked. We know how good of a player that he is, so we told Jhonkensy to just go play, go relax and go back to being you.”
Nicknamed “Big Christmas” due to his 6-foot-3, 250-pound frame, Noel’s notable pinch-hit two-run homer last October against the New York Yankees remains fresh in fans’ memories. Although the Guardians were eliminated from the ALCS in five games, that game-tying blast is remembered as a standout moment at Progressive Field.
“We still hold true to the belief that Jhonkensy — the best version of him — helps us win games,” said Vogt. “He plays an unbelievable right field, he’s a good baserunner and he has the power to hit it out of the yard. It just hasn’t been there yet this year.”
With Noel’s reassignment, the Guardians have recalled Johnathan Rodriguez from Columbus. Rodriguez stepped into the right-field position for the series finale against the Houston Astros.
In additional team news, Cleveland announced that outfielder Will Brennan and pitcher Andrew Walters will undergo surgeries on Monday. Brennan has been sidelined since May with inflammation in his left elbow, and Walters sustained a right lat strain during a pitch in late May against Angels standout Mike Trout.