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Guardians love versatility of David Fry, Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias, Daniel Schneemann
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- Guardians love versatility of David Fry, Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias, Daniel Schneemann
CLEVELAND — There is no shortage of versatility on the Cleveland Guardians roster this season.
With the promotion of 27-year-old rookie Daniel Schneemann earlier in the week, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt has four players who can play several positions.
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Schneemann started in center field Thursday for the first time in his three-game Major League Baseball career and finished at his usual position, shortstop, in a 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field .
"I felt comfortable," Schneeman said. "I had to do that a couple times in Columbus. It wasn't really anything new."
Guardians second baseman Daniel Schneemann celebrates after hitting a second-inning RBI double against the Nationals, June 2, 2024, in Cleveland.
Schneemann joins David Fry , Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias as the most versatile players on the first-place Guardians .
"We have talked about since Spring Training, having versatility on the roster with four guys that can play all over the field helps us to be able to make moves," Vogt said Thursday. "Daniel looked good. He got a couple of routine plays in center and made the nice sliding catch [in the fifth] and then he goes to short [for the final three innings]. Having that versatility, we have been really pleased with Schnee so far in the first few games.
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"We love our roster. These guys battle and they can all play."
Daniel Schneemann, fielding a first-inning ground ball at second base on June 2, has shown he can play middle infield and in center field in his first week with Cleveland.
Schneemann added: "I feel more comfortable coming in than going back right now. I got a good jump on that ball."
Schneeman hit safely in his third straight game to start his MLB career, becoming the first Guardian to do that since Will Brennan two years ago.
Guardians second baseman Daniel Schneemann hits a second-inning RBI double against the Nationals on June 2.
Schneemann, a 33rd-round draft pick in the 2016 draft , entered Friday 3-for-8 with two RBIs to start his career.
"He got called up a couple of days ago and he has already been playing two of the most premier positions in baseball," Guardians pitcher Tanner Bibee said of Schneemann. "He has come up here and has been nothing but a pro about everything. He is helping us win games."
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Fry added: "Schneemann does a great job. He goes out there and makes a few good plays in center field and turns a double play at shortstop [in the seventh inning]. He is a really good player and a really good hitter, too."
David Fry rounds the bases after hitting a three-run homer against the Nationals on May 31.
Fry knows all about being versatile. He said he carries five gloves in his bag for every game: a mitt for first base, catcher, third base and outfield and a backup's catcher mitt.
Fry also has proven utility players can be productive. The proof? His recent 14-game stretch where he became the third player In the past 100 years of Major League Baseball to record at least five home runs, 15 RBIs, 10 walks, three steals, a 1.400 OPS, fewer than five strikeouts and 12 team wins, according to OptaSTATS . The other two players are Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds.
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Fry entered Thursday hitting .342 with a .479 on-base percentage, eight home runs, six doubles and 27 RBIs.
Freeman, known more for his athleticism, hit a game-tying two-run home run Tuesday in what became Cleveland's 8-5 win over Kansas City .
Guardians center fielder Tyler Freeman celebrates his game-tying two-run home run in the seventh against the Royals on June 4.
"It has been awesome watching Daniel," Freeman said. "I am so excited for him more than anything. Just going through the entire minor league system with most of these guys, Schneemann being one of them. He brings value to our game. He brings value to the team. All of us combined, we want this team to win. Wherever they need us, that is where they are going to put us and we are not going to be mad about it."
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Freeman was drafted as a shortstop and never played outfield until this season.
"When you show up, you are going to practice a position that day and you don't even know what it is going to be," Fry said. "I could be in the [batting] cages working on catching or I might be running down fly balls during BP. It keeps everything new, and when you play 162 [games] and everyday is the same, it keeps things different."
Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias celebrates after hitting a double during the second inning against the Washington Nationals, June. 2, 2024, in Cleveland.
Guardians relievers string of 26 scoreless innings comes to an end
Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis allowed a run Thursday to end the bullpen's string of 26 scoreless innings in a row.
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"They have done everything we have asked of them and more," Vogt said. "They continue to just be incredible. When they give up runs we are all going to wonder what happened because that is the bar they have set for themselves."
Adam Frazier doubled off Gaddis and scored on a single by Kyle Isbel in the eighth.
Nick Sandlin inherited two runners from Bibee in the sixth and both scored following a Hunter Renfroe double and a fielder's choice.
Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Royals on June 6 in Cleveland.
José Ramírez passes Manny Ramírez on Cleveland career RBIs list
José Ramírez hit a solo home run in the third inning Thursday to pass Manny Ramírez on Cleveland's career RBIs list and then added an RBI single in the fourth that scored Steven Kwan .
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José Ramírez finished Thursday with 806 career RBIs to rank No. 8 on the list. Hall of Famer Larry Doby is 10th with 776 RBIs and Manny Ramírez is ninth with 804 RBIs.
"He is the man," Bibee said of José Ramírez . "... He is our leader."
The top seven on Cleveland's RBI list are Earl Averill (1,084), Jim Thome (937), Napoleon Lajoie (919), Hal Trosky (911), Tristram Speaker (884), Joe Sewell (869) and Ken Keltner (850).
Ramírez leads Major League Baseball with 60 RBIs this season, as of Thursday night.
"He is unbelievable," Vogt said of José Ramírez . "He never ceases to amaze me. It is just fun to watch him. He gets better and better as the count goes on and he gets better and better as the game goes on. He is an incredible player."
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Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Daniel Schneemann adds more versatility to Cleveland Guardians roster
