CLEVELAND — Left fielder Steven Kwan was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with mid-back inflammation, an injury that may have contributed to the leadoff hitter’s second-half slump for the Cleveland Guardians.
The team also recalled outfielder Myles Straw from Triple-A Columbus and designated pitcher Carlos Carrasco for assignment.
Kwan’s issue has kept him out of the lineup for the past five games. The move is retroactive to Sept. 14.
Manager Stephen Vogt had been expected to provide a timetable for Kwan’s return before Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Minnesota, but offered only that he was “day to day.” That all changed about 90 minutes before the first pitch.
Kwan has been in a prolonged slide at the plate. After leading MLB with a .352 average at the All-Star break, he’s hitting only .201 in the second half for the AL Central leaders. He missed most of May with a hamstring injury.
Straw is back with the Guardians after being designated for assignment at the end of spring training. He had been Cleveland’s regular center fielder for the past two-plus seasons, winning a Gold Glove in 2022. He appeared as a pinch-runner in Tuesday’s loss.
Straw’s problem has been his hitting. He batted .238 last season with one homer, 29 RBIs and 20 steals and the Guardians wanted more. The 29-year-old was acquired from Houston at the trade deadline in 2021.
Carrasco was in his second stint with the Guardians after signing with them as a free agent in February. The 37-year-old had spent the previous three seasons in New York with the Mets after being traded in the Francisco Lindor deal.
Carrasco went on the injured list on Aug. 8 with a left hip strain. One of the team’s most popular players, he has pitched in 263 games over 12 seasons with Cleveland. He led the AL with 18 wins in 2017.
