Kyle Manzardo Likely To Start At Triple-A
7 months agoThe Athletic's Jason Lloyd writes that Cleveland Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo will probably start the 2024 season at Triple-A Columbus. Guardians officials reiterated this offseason the difficulty of hitting in Cleveland in April and how a slow start can bury young hitters. The 23-year-old grew up in Idaho, so he probably knows a thing or two about hitting in cold temperatures, but still, the Guardians would prefer to have Manzardo start the year in the minors for service-time considerations as well. Josh Naylor is the team's starting first baseman, too, although Manzardo could see plenty of at-bats later in the year as the designated hitter. He struggled at the plate early in 2023 in the minors and also dealt with an injury, but he bounced back after being traded from the Rays. In Cleveland, Manzardo profiles as the successor to Naylor at first base eventually.
Source: The Athletic - Jason Lloyd
Source: The Athletic - Jason Lloyd