CHICAGO -- The Guardians got some good news on shortstop Gabriel Arias’ left ankle sprain after he underwent an MRI on Monday, but the 25-year-old will still require a stint on the injured list.
Cleveland placed Arias on the 10-day IL on Tuesday (retroactive to Monday) ahead of their game vs. the Cubs and recalled shortstop Brayan Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus.
“It looks like we got pretty lucky. It looks like a moderate ankle sprain,” manager Stephen Vogt said of Arias. “We'll have more information on him when we get back [to Cleveland on Friday], but it sounds like he avoided some major injury, which is great.”
Arias sprained his ankle in the third inning of Sunday’s 7-0 loss to the Cardinals, while attempting to make a sliding stop in the shortstop hole on a Masyn Wynn ground ball. He was carted off the field and underwent X-rays Sunday, which came back negative.
Arias has recorded a .662 OPS through 77 games, and he has recorded 2 outs above average (11th among all shortstops). He took over as the Guardians’ everyday starter after Cleveland sent Rocchio to Columbus on May 12, following the 24-year-old’s tough start to the season.
Rocchio slashed .165/.235/.198 with eight walks and 21 strikeouts over 35 games.
“Nobody likes to be sent down,” Rocchio said through team interpreter Agustin Rivero. “But I feel like some players, at times, they have the awareness that they know that's what they need to take a second breath. For me, that's what it was. Obviously, I didn’t want to go down.
“But for me, I felt it was the right time to build on some things, find myself and find the best version of myself.”
Rocchio slashed .252/.353/.484 in 41 games with Columbus, and he posted a 14.4 percent strikeout rate, 12.2 percent walk rate and 21.4 percent whiff rate. He had a 20.6 percent strikeout rate, 4.9 percent walk rate and 26.0 percent whiff rate in his first stint with Cleveland this season.
“Brayan walked in and said, ‘I got my confidence back,’” Vogt said. “... Right before he went to Columbus, Brayan just wasn’t himself. He wasn’t playing with that carefree confidence that he has. He feels like he got that back, and he’s been doing a lot of good things with Columbus as well.”
Rocchio figures to assume the bulk of shortstop duties in Arias’ absence, and Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martínez also offer additional depth.