Gabriel Arias is making progress in his rehab assignment, but is not ready to rejoin the Cleveland Guardians' big-league roster.
Gabriel Arias hasn’t played in a big-league game since the first week of April, when he exited a game early with an injury. Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt admitted a few days after the initial injury that the shortstop would be out for a while.
Arias is getting closer to an eventual return. He started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus last week, and the early return on his offensive numbers has been strong. In his first three games, he has two hits, including one home run.
However, the Guardians aren’t going to rush Arias back from the injury, no matter what his numbers are in the Minor Leagues.
Vogt said on Tuesday that the Guardians will be mindful of his buildup and that the team is following a procedure to ensure Arias is at 100 percent once he is healthy.
“He’s going to be playing [at Triple-A] for a while,” explained Vogt. “So, it’s going to take some time to build him up because we have to get him ready to play nine innings.”
Right now, the ramp-up process for Arias consists of “It’s kind of every other day. There’s a progression. He’ll DH every other day, then play the next day.”
Based on Vogt’s comments, it sounds like Arias is headed in the right direction. Now, the goal is to make sure his body is ready to play whenever he’s called upon.
Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias (13) throws to first base in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesAt some point, Arias is going to be healthy. Because he has no more Minor League options left, once he is healthy, Cleveland must activate him and add him back onto the big-league roster.
That’s where things are going to get complicated, and Cleveland will be forced to make some tough decisions.
Before Arias went on the injured list, he was putting together one of the best stretches of his career at the plate. The right-handed hitter had a 1.257 OPS in April, including two home runs and a double.
That said, shortstop is no longer an everyday option for Arias, with Brayan Rocchio and Travis Bazzana having locked up the middle infield in his absence, even though that is where Arias started on Opening Day.
The questions will be answered in time. Right now, the focus is on helping Arias get healthy and ready to play every day, and he just isn’t there yet.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
