The Cleveland Guardians made a shocking move by adding a veteran pitcher to the MLB roster on Tuesday.
The Cleveland Guardians have spent days mulling over who to add to the big-league roster as a part of September call-ups. Each team across baseball gets two additional roster spots during the final calendar month of the regular season.
There were a handful of obvious candidates Cleveland could have chosen from, but the front office made a surprising move with its pitching option and an expected move with the position player.
Carlos Hernandez Selected From Triple-A
The Guardians decided to select the contract of RHP Carlos Hernandez and add him to the big-league roster. This was an extremely shocking move for the Guardians for a variety of reasons.
Not only did Cleveland have other options that seemed to fit better, such as Daniel Espino or Franco Aleman, but the Guardians also added a 29-year-old arm who hasn’t pitched a lot this season.
The organization re-signed Hernandez to a free-agent deal over the offseason, has only pitched in 16 games this calendar year. He was in a car accident in Venezuela last January and spent much of the season rehabbing from that incident.
The right-hander had a 6.23 ERA with a 1.66 WHIP with the Guardians and Detroit Tigers during the 2025 season. Hernandez’s biggest strength is his fastball, which consistently hits in the high 90s and can reach triple digits on occasion.
Another reason this move was hard to foresee was that the Guardians had to add Hernandez to their already complicated 40-man roster.
If anything, Hernandez making his way back to the big-league level after such a serious incident is a positive comeback story in itself, but it still remains to be seen exactly how he fits with this bullpen.
Jun 28, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pinch hitter Daniel Schneemann (10) celebrates after hitting a double during the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesDaniel Espino Recalled From Triple-A
Chris Antonetti said over the weekend that whatever position player the team adds likely won’t get much playing time, but the front office still wants them to complement the team's current makeup.
It almost felt like the executive was describing Daniel Schneemann without actually using his name, and that’s exactly who the Guardians added on Tuesday afternoon.
Adding a superutility player who is an elite defender on the field is almost a no-brainer for the Guardians, considering what they want Schneemann’s role to be.
If Schneemann can even be half as good a hitter as he was in April when he logged a 1.034 OPS, then he could be bound to make a true impact on the team over the final month of the season.
