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Guardians injury news | David Fry begins rehab assignment with Akron RubberDucks
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- Guardians injury news | David Fry begins rehab assignment with Akron RubberDucks
It had been so long since he had collected an actual hit in a game, David Fry jokingly asked for the ball. It also had been a while since he had heard the roar of a crowd rather than another rendition (or 100) of "Baby Shark."
Fry began a rehab assignment with the Double-A Akron RubberDucks on May 20, as he continues his rehab from UCL surgery . As will likely be the case for the entire 2025 season , Fry acted as a designated hitter, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI, a single and two batted balls with an exit velocity of at least 98.7 mph.
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After he collected the single, he joked with some of the RubberDucks prospects.
"I was telling the boys I needed the ball — my first hit as a RubberDuck," Fry said. "Feeling really good. Nice to kind of get back into live game situations, a lot of cage work and stuff before this."
He's been rehabbing since November, when he underwent the procedure. He finally reached the point of being able to hit in minor league games, as the ability to swing a bat returns much faster than throwing a baseball after that surgery.
For several months, there wasn't much to do. So as kids chanted his name during the game, it was a different soundtrack to his daily routine than what he had been experiencing.
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"Yeah, I have a 1½-year-old daughter, so I've been hearing a lot of 'Baby Shark' recently," Fry said, smiling.
David Fry injury timetable to return to Guardians
Fry should be within a few weeks of being able to rejoin the Guardians lineup , though he'll likely only be able to act as a designated hitter until 2026, which will limit how he can be utilized. He might be able to begin throwing baseballs next week, and that part of the rehab will be a long process.
He put together an All-Star season in 2024 , finishing with a .263/.356/.448 slash line with 14 home runs, 18 doubles and 51 RBIs in 122 games, with most of that production coming during a scorching first half. Fry then had two of the biggest moments of the Guardians' playoff run, including a season-saving home run in Detroit against the Tigers and then a mammoth walk-off winner against the New York Yankees in the ALCS.
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Although he didn't have much to do, they did put some of those playoff games on the TV.
"[My daughter] has a little foam bat with Slider on it, the Guardians mascot, and she would be playing with it and she'll point to the TV and say, 'Da-da,'" Fry said.
Other than reliving some of those highlights, Fry has been sidelined and relegated mostly to the team's facility in Goodyear, Ariz., for the last several months.
Guardians designated hitter David Fry, listens to Akron RubberDucks manager Greg DiCenzo while on rehab assignment during the third inning on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at Canal Park.
Fry said he's had to fight himself a few times not to do too much, too quickly while trying to avoid a setback.
"The biggest thing is not getting ahead of yourself and doing what the trainers are telling you," Fry said. "You want to do more and more like, 'Oh, I want to do this.' And it's like, 'Hey, you've got a restricted amount of swings.'"
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Soon, Fry will be able to combine the endless reruns of "Baby Shark" with his own walk-up song at Progressive Field, and the Guardians will add another option in the DH spot.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: David Fry injury news, begins return to Guardians with RubberDucks
