Guardians activates Josh Naylor off injury list

Josh Naylor was engaged in a horrific collision in Minnesota on June 27, 2021, that left his leg gravely damaged. Since then, Naylor has undergone a lengthy, difficult, and time-consuming rehabilitation procedure without the team's involvement during the lockout. Naylor was able to finish a week of minor rehab errands and is now back on the Guardians Major League roster, which is a huge relief.

Naylor’s rehabilitation journey

Naylor suffered from many leg fractures over the course of nine months after colliding with his teammate Ernie Clement off the field. As a result, he'll be out for Friday's home opener against the San Francisco Giants at Progressive Field.The recuperation of Naylor took 292 days. Despite the fact that it was difficult and uncomfortable, he referred to it as his "favorite offseason." Naylor felt the incident taught him to slow down his life and movement in order to make his actions more efficient. He claimed that this situation also allowed him to take a step back and appreciate the world and himself from a different viewpoint.

According to a conversation with a journalist in March, the 24-year-old revealed that while he was in the hospital, he sought assistance from others, particularly his mother. Naylor requested his mother to assist him in maintaining his hand-eye coordination by rolling up the sock he used as a ball for him to hit.

Cleveland’s decision, Naylor’s role in Columbus

Konnor Pilkington's LHP should have been sent to Triple-A The Columbus Clippers, according to player transaction records. Pilkington, unfortunately, is on his way back to the big leagues. Pilkington did not play in the first six-team games despite joining Cleveland's training camp.

Naylor, for his part, batted 200 (4-for-20) with two doubles and five RBI in six games with Columbus. In 25 plate appearances, he does not attack. Naylor hit 253 with seven home runs, 21 RBI, and a 700 OPS in 69 games prior to his injury in 2021.

He thought an injury occurrence would not impact the way he played. Naylor is known for his aggressive demeanor when running base on the court. When he returns to the field, he will target other players with more controlled aggression than in the previous game. According to him, the episode served as a hidden lesson for him, prompting him to try to improve his emotional control, goals, and game pace.

Meanwhile, the organization informed Terry Francona about Yu Chang's addition to International League (IL) during a pre-game press conference but provided no other details on his prognosis. Furthermore, Pilkington advanced to I-71 north to The Cleveland Guardians for the game's home opener.

So far, Cleveland has only had three regular outsiders on the roster for its last five games. This occurred following Bradley Zimmer's first-day trade to Toronto. Naylor will give depth in right field and may see some at first base, where Owen Miller has been hitting well since Saturday.

Carlos Rodon, a left-handed pitcher, will start the Giants' home opener on Friday. However, the place of Naylor in the starting lineup for this encounter is yet unknown.