Gabriel Arias' injury seems to pave way for former Guardians top prospect

It looks like Brayan Rocchio is close to becoming one of the most important players in Cleveland again.

On Sunday, Guardians shortstop Gabriel Arias had to be carted off the field after injuring his ankle while trying to make a sliding stop at short. After the game, the Guardians announced that Arias was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain, and that he'd undergo an MRI later today.

While the initial X-rays were negative, it seems like Arias is due to miss a significant period of time, which could set up a major league reunion with Rocchio.

Gabriel Arias' injury seems to pave way for former Guardians top prospect

Rocchio, a former top prospect who was (is?) Cleveland's shortstop of the future, broke camp with the Guardians this year but was sent to Triple-A on May 12 after slashing .165/.235/.198 in 35 games.

He's hit .252/.353/.484 with seven home runs and 30 RB in 41 games with Triple-A Columbus since being sent down.

While Rocchio is only a career .205 hitter in 201 MLB games, he turned himself into a postseason hero for the Guardians. After only hitting .206 in 143 games in the regular season, Rocchio hit .333 with a home run and three RBI in 10 games in the postseason on the Guardians' surprise quest towards the American League Championship Series.

While the Guardians haven't announced anything in regard to how they'll fill Arias' spot on the roster (and likely won't need to do so until Tuesday), Rocchio wasn't in Columbus' lineup on Sunday, and is arguably the most MLB-ready of the Guardians' infielders in Triple-A.

The other options at Triple-A on the 40-man roster are Will Wilson (who hit .176 across 51 MLB at-bats earlier this year) and Juan Brito. Brito is Cleveland's No. 10 prospect per MLB Pipeline, but he's only played at second base, first base and right field this year. He also just finished rehabbing from a right thumb injury, so the Guardians may not want to rush him back.

Rocchio is a bit more one-sided than Arias, as he hasn't played a position other than short for the Guardians since he had a six-game cameo at third base in 2023. While Arias had locked down shortstop in recent days, he can play every infield position (and the outfield in a pinch), so Rocchio would make their roster a little less versatile.

But regardless of whever gets promoted, they're going to be joining an offense that's been one of the worst in baseball. The Guardians finished June with a 9-16 record and currently sit at 40-42 on the year, and haven't had a moment of joy since José Ramírez's walk-off hit against the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Six of the 12 players who recorded an at-bat for the Guardians last week finished with a batting average under .200 across the six game slate, and no player finished with a batting average over .300 (Kyle Manzardo's .278 average led the way).