CLEVELAND -- Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias was set to undergo imaging after he exited Monday night's 4-2 loss to the Royals at Progressive Field with left hamstring tightness.
Arias hit a double with two outs in the fifth inning. He reached second base standing, but then hunched over and was seen grabbing his left hamstring.
Manager Stephen Vogt said postgame that Arias was “pretty sore” and that the team would know more on Tuesday morning. First pitch was moved up to 1:10 p.m. ET from the originally scheduled 6:10 p.m. start time due to a forecast of frigid conditions in the Cleveland area.
Arias is hitting .200 (6-for-30) this season, though he has a hit in four of his past five games and at least one RBI in three of those contests. He logged two RBIs in Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Cubs, including one on a go-ahead single in the eighth inning of the 6-5 victory.
If Arias has to miss any time, second baseman Brayan Rocchio would slide over to shortstop in his stead. The greater question is, if Arias’ injury would necessitate a stint on the injured list, whom would the Guardians add to their active roster in his place?
Juan Brito (the Guardians’ No. 16 prospect according to MLB Pipeline) would be one potential candidate for a promotion from Triple-A Columbus, as he is already on the 40-man roster.
Brito was limited to 31 games this past season due to injuries. He was in the mix for a spot on Cleveland’s Opening Day roster this spring but was optioned to Columbus on March 19. Through nine games with the Clippers, he’s slashing .314/.405/.457, as five of his 11 hits have gone for doubles.