Valera (calf strain) out several days; Schneeman (ankle) back soon

PEORIA, Ariz. -- George Valera is dealing with a left calf strain that will keep him out of the starting lineup in the coming days, manager Stephen Vogt noted Saturday.

Valera last played in Monday’s 6-2 win over the Royals at Surprise Stadium, when he went 1-for-3 with a single. Vogt noted the strain is considered “mild,” and that the club is monitoring it.

“He will not play for a few more days,” Vogt said. “It’s there. He’s still able to do some baseball activity, but he cannot play.”

Valera made his MLB debut on Sept. 1 this past season, and he hit two home runs with a .748 OPS over 16 games down the stretch. Nine of his 12 starts came as the No. 2 hitter in Cleveland’s lineup, and he also slotted there twice during the AL Wild Card Series. He hit a solo homer that keyed the Guardians’ 6-1 win over the Tigers in Game 2.

Valera is part of a crowded outfield picture this spring, in which he has gone 7-for-24 (.292) with two doubles, one homer and four RBIs over 10 games. He is positioning himself to make his first career Opening Day roster as a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder.

With Opening Day only 12 days away, the Guardians will be mindful of Valera’s status. The 25-year-old has enjoyed a regular Spring Training after injuries impacted his camp the past two years. In 2025, Valera spent the spring in rehab mode after he ruptured his right patellar tendon in September the previous season.

“I just love watching him move in the outfield right now,” Vogt said earlier this week. “He's moving free. He's not moving like somebody rehabbing like you've seen in the last few years. It's been really refreshing watching George kind of be free to go play and do his thing.”

Schneemann on the mend
The Guardians expect Daniel Schneemann to return to play in the coming days after he was scratched from Friday’s starting lineup against the Angels with a right ankle sprain.

Schneemann was a late scratch Friday after he hurt his ankle during a pregame double-play drill, when he stepped on the base wrong. X-rays came back negative.

“They called it a mild sprain,” Schneemann said Saturday. “Just a couple of days, hopefully, it will get better, and I’ll be in there hopefully some time next week.”

Schneemann has played second base, third base, shortstop and left field this spring. He was a Swiss army knife for Vogt in 2025 -- the 29-year-old played every position other than catcher, first base and pitcher -- and could serve a similar role for Cleveland this season.

Schneemann has gone 8-for-25 (.320) in 10 games this spring.

“It's a piece that most teams would love to have, and we're really fortunate that we have Schnee,” Vogt said Friday. “We can trust him anywhere on the field. That's a huge, huge value.”

Worth noting

• Steven Kwan (upper respiratory) was not in Saturday’s starting lineup against the Padres. He is considered day to day.
• The Guardians reassigned lefties Steven Pérez and Will Dion to Minor League camp on Saturday. Their spring roster stands at 48 players.