Austin Hedges’ injury should open door to surprise Guardians promotion 

The end of spring training is always a bit of a scary time in baseball.

While it’s mostly a time of hype and excitement thanks to the start of the regular season being so close, it also is a time when most teams would prefer to wrap their players in bubble wrap so they can stay healthy for that start of the season. 

The Guardians found that out the hard way on Monday night when catcher Austin Hedges left in the ninth inning of their penultimate spring training game after being hit on the hand by a 93.1 mile per hour sinker from Arizona pitcher Casey Anderson.

Hand injuries are no joke for any MLB player, they’re really no joke for catchers since that’s such a demanding position physically. And, with the start of the season a little less than 48 hours away, the Guardians are at a point where they may need to rush to replace Hedges’ spot on the roster. 

And if they do need to replace Hedges, there’s one move that stands out above the others: Call up catcher Cooper Ingle. 

Cooper Ingle could be the Guardians’ catcher of the future

Hedges’ injury could have a huge ripple effect across the Guardians’ roster since Bo Naylor and Hedges are the only catchers on the team’s 40-man roster. 

While the Guardians wouldn’t be in as dire of a situation as other teams thanks to David Fry’s ability to play catcher, this will be his first time working as a catcher since midway through the 2024 season. It would be smart to have some insurance alongside him. 

Enter Ingle, who is entering the season as the No. 99 prospect in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline. 

Ingle played in 120 games last season across Double-A and Triple-A, where he slashed .260/.389/.419 with 10 home runs, 55 RBI. He also walked 86 times compared to 85 strikeouts, marking the third straight season he finished with more walks than strikeouts. 

He’s clearly a talented hitter, and he wouldn’t need to be in the lineup everyday since Naylor is clearly the top catching option. No need to worry about Ingle getting exposed night in and night out. 

That role could end up being a reason they don’t call him up, however, as the Guardians have shown a penchant in the past for not calling up top prospects until they can get everyday playing time. 

As such, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Guardians call Dom Nuñez up instead. Nuñez spent a week on the Guardians’ roster last year and appeared in two games while Hedges was on the concussion injured list. 

He’s the stereotypical “break glass in case of emergency” catcher who the team has no problem adding (and subsequently removing) from the 40-man roster. 

Adding Ingle to the roster would be an incredible swing that would start his big league timeline and make him a permanent addition to the 40-man roster.

It would be an aggressive move, but it may be a move that they have to make later this summer if Ingle starts the season hot. Why not get started on it now?