CLEVELAND -- It has been a season to forget for Lane Thomas, and the Guardians' outfielder was dealt more tough news this weekend.
The Guardians placed Thomas on the 10-day IL on Sunday with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, an issue that he has previously missed time for this season. The move is retroactive to Saturday, and Cleveland recalled infielder Will Wilson from Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.
Expectations for Thomas were high entering 2025, which is his first full season with the Guardians after they acquired him from the Nationals at the ‘24 Trade Deadline. But the 29-year-old has struggled to stay on the field and has had a tough time at the plate when healthy.
Thomas (who is set to become a free agent this winter) has slashed .160/.246/.272 with two doubles, four homers and 11 RBIs, with 14 walks and 44 strikeouts over 39 games. He has had three stints on the injured list this year.
Thomas missed a month due to a right wrist bone bruise before being activated on May 22. He went back on the IL on May 30 with plantar fasciitis and returned on June 9, but he exited Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Tigers after five innings due to the same issue.
“It's been a frustrating year for Lane,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We feel it with him. It's not at all what we want for him, not at all what he wants. It's just the way it's been. Hopefully with this break, we're able to really get this thing under control so that we can get the best version of Lane.”
Perhaps most frustrating for Thomas and the Guardians is he seemed to be trending in the right direction. He has dealt with plantar fasciitis in the past, and he received injections in his foot during his last stint on the IL that helped him turn a corner. He hit three homers over his past 10 games.
Thomas said after Friday’s game that he had some symptoms over the previous few days.
“He came out of the game [Friday] with a noticeable limp and just wasn't feeling well,” Vogt said. “It just didn't respond over the last day and a half, and with eight days till the [All-Star] break, we're not in a position to play short right now and wait day to day.
“We want to give this the [12] days that we have from now until we come out of the end of the break to really try and knock it out.”
This marks Wilson’s second stint with the Guardians this season; he was optioned to Columbus on June 9, when Thomas came off the IL. He has a .498 OPS over 25 games this season while making 13 appearances at second base and 10 at third.
Vogt noted one factor in Wilson’s callup is it gives the Guardians additional roster flexibility. With an extra infielder aboard, Angel Martínez can more freely bounce between infielder and outfielder.
Of course, the Guardians’ offense has struggled for over a month now, and outfielder Chase DeLauter has positioned himself for a big league promotion amid a stellar stretch at the plate with Columbus.
DeLauter hits left-handed, and the Guardians faced southpaw and AL Cy Young Award candidate Tarik Skubal on Sunday. But he figures to help sooner than later. Vogt was asked whether the Guardians had any conversations about DeLauter coming up in this situation.
“Yeah, of course,” Vogt said. “ … With Chase specifically, Chase's medical history is a big [factor] in this. So we want to make sure that everything is feeling good and he's ready to go, so that he can hit the ground running when he gets here, if and when he gets his chance. We're always talking about our players in Triple-A who can contribute.”
DeLauter (the Guardians’ No. 2 prospect, No. 35 overall) opened the season on the injured list after he underwent core muscle surgery in March for a sports hernia. He has played 134 Minor League games, while missing time with various injuries, since Cleveland selected him in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft.
The 23-year-old entered Sunday with a 30-game on-base streak with the Clippers. He has reached base safely in every game he has played and has slashed .288/.394/.477 with Columbus.