Guardians: Outfielder Chase DeLauter misses game with sprained wrist

CLEVELAND — Outfielder Angel Martinez and shortstop Brayan Rocchio returned to the lineup after a collision Friday night. Outfielder Chase DeLauter wasn't as fortunate. The oft-injured rookie sprained his right wrist in the second game of a doubleheader against the Tigers and did not start Saturday. "Chase is going to be day-to-day. The wrist is feeling better, but it's really sore and stiff," manager Stephen Vogt said. "We just got to get some good treatment in today and see how he's feeling." Vogt said DeLauter sustained the injury on a swing during his last at-bat in a sweep-clinching 4-3, 10-inning win. "It was kind of a weird feeling, so it made him aware and he tried ,to go swing and just didn't feel comfortable," Vogt said. "So, we thought, 'Let's not turn this into a bigger thing.' We're hoping it's very much day-to-day." Injuries delayed DeLauter's ascension to the big leagues and he hasn't been able to shake the trend, already making two trips to the IL this year. + Reliever Shawn Armstrong (left calf strain) threw a bullpen session Friday and is scheduled to pitch live batting practice for Triple-A Columbus before beginning game progression. Vogt thinks there is still time for Armstrong to assist the Guardians this year. "We're hoping that's the case," said the manager. "He's healthy. He's ready to go. He's just getting built up. We feel like there should be some time." It's been a disappointing return to Cleveland for Armstrong, who hasn't pitched since July 24 and owns a 4.91 ERA over 38 appearances. Rookie roundup Saturday's starting pitcher, left-hander Parker Messick, is a rookie of the year candidate and maybe more, according to Vogt. "Parker's in the rookie of the year (conversation) and he should be in the Cy Young, too," Vogt said. "The way he's pitched, he's been one of the best pitchers in the American League, one of the best pitchers in baseball. It's the consistency. Every pitcher that pitches in the big leagues has good stuff. They've got the ability to go out and perform, but it's at the consistent rate that he's done it." Messick entered his 28th start (34th of his career) owning a 2.46 ERA and allowing two runs or fewer in 10 straight outings — the longest streak by a Cleveland pitcher since Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry's 11-game streak in 1974. He is on track to join the Mets' Dwight Gooden (1984), the Dodgers' Hideo Nomo (1995) and Miami's Jose Fernandez (2013) as the only rookie pitchers in MLB history to record sub-2.70 ERAs while striking out at least nine batters per nine innings. + DeLauter is also a candidate for the first-year award, ranking fourth in the American League overall with a .294 batting average, and on pace to become only the seventh rookie in franchise history to finish in the top 10. Steven Kwan finished ninth with a .298 batting average in 2022, while Joe Jackson is the only Cleveland player to finish in the top five (second), hitting .408 in 1911. DeLauter's 39 multihit games are tied with Francisco Lindor (2015) for the most by a Cleveland rookie since 1982. Contact Chris Assenheimer at (440) 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @CAwesomeheimer on X.