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Guardians Select Stuart Fairchild Amid Steven Kwan’s Absence
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- Guardians Select Stuart Fairchild Amid Steven Kwan’s Absence
The Cleveland Guardians were extremely impressed with Stuart Fairchild during Spring Training, after the team signed him to a Minor League deal over the offseason. There was an argument for Fairchild to even be on the Opening Day roster, but the veteran was ultimately assigned to Triple-A Columbus to begin the 2026 season.
Now, Fairchild is getting an opportunity to make an impact with Cleveland's big-league roster. Unfortunately, it's not the circumstances that anyone was hoping for.
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Fairchild is taking Steven Kwan 's spot on the big-league roster for the foreseeable future.
The Guardians announced on Thursday that Kwan was placed on the bereavement list, and everyone is hoping for the best for the Kwan family. A player given this designation is typically out for 3–10 days.
Because Farichild was not on the 40-man roster, Cleveland also had to make a move to open up a spot. This time, the team placed injured infielder Gabriel Arias on the 60-day injured list.
With Kwan away from the team, Fairchild gives Cleveland another outfield option outside of the existing rotation of Angel Martinez, Chase DeLauter , Petey Halpin , and Daniel Scheneemann.
Mar 13, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians right fielder Stuart Fairchild (17) hits against the Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Fairchild isn't in Friday's starting lineup, but he has plenty of big league experience, making him ready for any role, and could always make an appearance on any given day, considering how manager Stephen Vogt uses his bench.
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Fairchild played with five different teams since his debut during the 2021 season, and he owns a career .223/.305/.384 slashline. Fairchild does have better splits against left-handed pitching, with a career .746 OPS against southpaws.
It will be very interesting to see what type of production Fairchild provides the Guardians in this short, but potentially longer stint, depending on how the veteran infielder performs. So far during the Minor League season, Fairchild owns a .896 OPS in 156 at-bats, including eight doubles, two triples, and five home runs.
Everyone is hoping for the best and thinking about Kwan during this tough time, but while Fairchild is in Cleveland, it'll be interesting to see what he is able to do in this opportunity with the Guardians.
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