Unfortunately for the Cleveland Guardians, Gabriel Arias is set to miss a significant amount of time after suffering a hamstring strain in the team’s latest series. 

With Arias on the injured list, a group of Guardians will be affected in their roles on the team moving forward. 

Even though Brayan Rocchio has been Cleveland’s starting second baseman going back to the middle of the 2025 season, he’ll be sliding back over to shortstop for the foreseeable future now that Arias is sidelined.

Rocchio came up through the organization as a shortstop and played some there during Spring Training, too, but he’s now making what could be a permanent move to the left side of the infield once again.

The good news is that Rocchio doesn’t believe that sliding back and forth will affect him. “I feel like I’m a natural shortstop. That’s what I’ve played my whole life,” Rocchio recently said through his interruptor. 

Rocchio went on to say that he wants to help the team in any way he can.

Daniel Schneemann has been Cleveland’s go-to utilityman for the last two years, and he’s been reliable in that role and a positive defensive presence, whether it’s in the infield or outfield.

Schneemann has technically played more games in the outfield than in the infield so far this season, but that could change with Arias being sidelined. 

Yes, the Guardians brought up some reinforcements and infield depth from the Minors, but Schneemann could still see more time on the dirt given the current makeup of the roster. 

Looking at Cleveland’s current infield group, Schneemann is one of their top defensive options with Arias injured. That means he could get more time at second base or move there as an in-game late substitution. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Schneemann even get a couple of starts at shortstop on days that Rocchio gets a game off.

Obviously, the player whose life and role changed the most amid Arias’ injury was Juan Brito, who is finally getting a shot at a stint at the big-league level. 

When Arias was placed on the injured list, Brito took his spot on the roster after being called up from Triple-A Columbus. Brito is a natural second baseman and will likely get the most reps there in the immediate future.

If Brtio hits well and shows he can handle the position defensively, he could force the Guaridans to make some tough decisions in the future. 

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