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Cleveland Guardians 2026 Opening Day roster. Who's in the outfield?
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- Cleveland Guardians 2026 Opening Day roster. Who's in the outfield?
A rough finale for a starting pitcher and a few injuries shuffled the Guardians ' Opening Day roster plans.
The Guardians set their initial roster March 24 ahead of their March 26 season opener against the Mariners in Seattle .
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Here are the 26 players with which the Guardians will break camp .
Catchers (3): Bo Naylor , David Fry , Austin Hedges
Austin Hedges took a pitch off his hand in one of the last Cactus League games, but president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti noted via Zoom that he's good to go to start the regular season.
Infielders (6): Jose Ramirez , Brayan Rocchio , Kyle Manzardo , Rhys Hoskins , Gabriel Arias , Daniel Schneemann
The middle infield to open the season will likely look different at some point in 2026, as former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana is banging down the door to the major leagues, assuming he can stay healthy.
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Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins figure to see plenty of at-bats between first base and the designated hitter spot.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter warms up before Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Detroit Tigers on Oct. 1, 2025, in Cleveland.
Outfielders (4): Steven Kwan , Chase DeLauter , Angel Martinez, CJ Kayfus
George Valera starting the season on the injured list and Nolan Jones struggling through a rough spring training led to both Chase DeLauter — who was among the Cactus League's hottest hitters — and CJ Kayfus both making the Opening Day roster.
Jones was unclaimed on waivers and accepted his assignment to Triple-A. Stuart Fairchild could potentially join him in Columbus.
Steven Kwan could see time in center field and/or left field, giving manager Stephen Vogt a little more flexibility.
Starting pitchers (5): Tanner Bibee , Gavin Williams , Joey Cantillo , Slade Cecconi , Parker Messick
Logan Allen was lit up in his most recent spring training outing, which might have played a role in Parker Messick grabbing the fifth and final spot in the rotation to open the season.
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Unlike most years, the Guardians play games on seven consecutive days to begin their season, so Messick will take the mound next week against the Los Angeles Dodgers . Teams often have enough days off early in the schedule to have the fifth starter available in the bullpen for a week or two, but that won't be the case in 2026.
Tanner Bibee will take the mound for Cleveland on Opening Day in Seattle.
Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers on July 6, 2025, in Cleveland.
Relief pitchers (8): Cade Smith , Shawn Armstrong , Tim Herrin , Erik Sabrowski , Matt Festa , Peyton Pallette, Connor Brogdon , Colin Holderman
Hunter Gaddis will open the season on the injured list as well, which made some decisions in the bullpen a bit easier on the club. Rule 5 selection Peyton Pallette, Connor Brogdon and Colin Holderman are all expected to open the season in the bullpen, potentially pushing Kolby Allard to Triple-A.
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Ryan Lewis covers the Cleveland Guardians and Cavaliers for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians set 2026 Opening Day roster at end of spring training camp
