CLEVELAND — Heading into their matchup against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, the Cleveland Guardians found themselves in need of an infielder.
And in order to fill the void, they are turning to one of the top prospects in their farm system.
Ahead of Wednesday's 1:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Comerica Park in Detroit, the Guardians announced that they have called up infielder Brayan Rocchio from Triple-A Columbus. According to MLB.com, the 22-year-old Rocchio is the highest-ranked infielder and No. 6 overall prospect in the Cleveland organization and ranked as high as No. 4 overall in the Guardians' farm system as recently as 2022.
Cleveland's need for an infielder comes as a result of shortstop Amed Rosario dealing with a sore back and infielder Tyler Freeman -- who was called up on Tuesday -- suffering an injury defending a steal attempt against the Tigers. As noted by The Athletic's Zack Meisel, so long as Rosario and/or Freeman can avoid the injured list, Rocchio's first stint in the Major Leagues could be a short one, with relief pitcher Enyel De Los Santos set to return from the paternity list when the Guardians host the Miami Marlins on Friday.
Appearing in 15 games for Columbus, the switch-hitting Rocchio has hit for a .344 average (.873 OPS) to go along with 10 RBI and four stolen bases. He won't be in Cleveland's starting lineup on Wednesday, with Gabriel Arias getting the start at shortstop.
In a corresponding move, the Guardians optioned starting pitcher Hunter Gaddis, who has posted an 0-1 record and 7.64 ERA in four starts for Cleveland this season. With Thursday being a day off for the team, the Guardians won't need a replacement for Gaddis in the rotation until Monday -- at which point it's possible another one of Cleveland's top prospects, starting pitcher Tanner Bibee, could conceivably be making his Major League debut.