CLEVELAND -- David Fry shared the excitement of all Guardians fans in March, as he watched Cleveland open the 2025 season against the Royals. But reality soon set in for the 29-year-old, whose viewing experience was limited to watching from afar in Arizona.
“The first series, it was exciting to see everybody on TV,” Fry said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, the boys are playing.' After about a week, I was like, ‘I’d much rather be there.’”
Fry opened the season on the 60-day IL as he continued his recovery from right UCL revision surgery he underwent in November. He made his return on Saturday, when the Guardians activated the 2024 All-Star and postseason hero off the 60-day injured list.
Fry’s return corresponds with outfielder Lane Thomas landing on the 10-day IL on Friday with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Right-hander Cody Bolton was designated for assignment in a corresponding move to Fry’s activation, to make room on the 40-man roster.
“David walking back in the building put a smile on everybody's face,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “Not only for the player he is -- obviously, we know how he can help us in the batter's box -- but [also] just the person that he is, the leader on this team, the heart of this clubhouse. He's a big part of that.”
Fry underwent surgery in November following the Guardians’ run to the American League Championship Series in which he was a key catalyst. He hit a go-ahead pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning of Game 4 of the AL Division Series against the Tigers, forcing a Game 5 in which Cleveland triumphed.
Fry later hit a walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning of Game 3 of the ALCS against the Yankees. His postseason heroics followed a big regular season in which he slashed .263/.356/.448 with 14 homers and 51 RBIs over 122 games to earn his first All-Star nod.
Fry played in nine rehab games between the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League, Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus. He hit a two-run homer for the Clippers on Friday night prior to his activation.
Fry (who played catcher, first base, third, left and right field last season) began throwing for the first time since his surgery last week, at 60 feet. Due to his surgery, he will be limited to DH duties this season, at least at this stage in the process.
Vogt said catching “is definitely not in the cards,” for Fry this season, but the Guardians are not ruling anything out beyond that.
“The most important thing is for him to fully recover from this and be able to catch moving forward in his career,” Vogt said. “That's priority No. 1, to make sure that we do that for David. But it's not completely ruled out that he might be able to play first or the outfield [later this season].
“But we're not even going down that road yet. He's back, and we're gonna make sure the throwing progression goes well.”
For now, that means Vogt will be tasked with divvying up at-bats between Fry, Kyle Manzardo and Carlos Santana. Manzardo (32 starts), Santana (10) and José Ramírez (10) led the team in starts at designated hitter entering Saturday. Santana (a 2024 Gold Glove Award winner at first base) has been Cleveland’s primary first baseman (41 starts).
Vogt equated Fry’s expected role to the same as the second half of last season: starting at DH vs. left-handed pitchers, some starts vs. righties and pinch-hit opportunities.
“[Santana and Manzardo are] going to continue to get the bulk of playing time versus righties,” Vogt said. “Versus lefties, David's going to be the DH. We're going to make decisions every day.
“David's one of our better hitters, and we know that. So are Carlos and Manzo, so you get creative.”
In other moves, the Guardians placed Andrew Walters on the 15-day IL with a right lat strain Saturday and recalled Nic Enright from Triple-A Columbus. Walters exited his appearance vs. the Angels in the ninth inning on Friday in clear discomfort after throwing a pitch and underwent an MRI on Saturday.
Walters (who didn’t allow an earned run in 8 2/3 innings over nine appearances last season, following his Sept. 12 MLB debut) was recalled to the Majors for the first time in 2025 on Wednesday.
“Anytime you see a pitcher walking off the mound like that and in that much pain, it's never a fun sight,” Vogt said, “let alone given Andrew's quick ascension to the big leagues and the role he played for us on this team.
“He's got great stuff and a huge future. So anytime you see an injury like this, it's hard to see.”