Chase DeLauter hasn’t missed a step for Guardians since returning from injured list

On Wednesday, Chase DeLauter recorded three hits in the Guardians’ 9-4 win over the Rangers. 

While his productive game flew under the radar a bit thanks to strong performances from Austin Hedges and David Fry, it was another strong performance in what’s been a quietly productive stretch since he returned from the injured list. 

After Wednesday’s three-hit game, DeLauter now has a 1.056 OPS with four homers, three doubles and a steal in the four games he’s played in since coming back. 

Although that streak has come amidst one of the Guardians’ worst stretches of the season, it’s been a tangible reminder of what Cleveland was missing while he was on the shelf with a rib injury. 

Chase DeLauter picked up where he left off for Guardians

Even though DeLauter’s power numbers have taken a nosedive since his fantastic opening week, he’s still been a huge breath of fresh air for a Guardians lineup that’s in desperate need of any offense. 

The four-game stretch DeLauter’s had since coming back is perhaps the best example of how much of an impact he can make even without hitting home runs, as he’s used his short, violent swing to pepper balls all over the outfield. 

He showed that on Monday when he smoked a double into the right field corner on an inside cutter from Chris Paddack. 

A day later, he hit yet another double, only this time he was able to punch a slider from Jacob deGrom the other way before hustling his way to second base. 

He found that exact same spot in the first inning on Wednesday, and was able to get to second after center fielder Cam Cauley slipped a bit while fielding the ball. 

While all three at-bats were different, DeLauter’s approach was the same and it led to the same result. 

When DeLauter made his regular season debut for the Guardians this season, his homer barrage made it seem like he was going to be a power hitter in the middle of Cleveland’s lineup for years to come.

Although that could still be the case, it’s looking more and more like he’s going to end up becoming a stable, middle-of-the-order contact hitter, which is a bit funny considering how violent and powerful his unconventional swing looks. 

DeLauter’s in the 89th percentile in strikeout rate, whiff rate and chase rate along with being in the 86th percentile in expected batting average (.281), which are all traits that aren’t going to go away anytime soon. 

But where he differs from Steven Kwan (whose production has fallen off a cliff despite having the same profile) is that he has the size to consistently produce power. 

While there’s always going to be some kind of injury scare lingering around DeLauter, he’s largely proven that he can handle the rigors that come across a big league season, and seems ready to be a staple in Cleveland’s lineup going forward.

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