Guardians activate Lane Thomas ahead of series with Detroit, Will Brennan lands on IL

With the Cleveland Guardians getting set to begin a four-game series with the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers, they have made a slight roster adjustment before things get underway at Comerica Park.

Veteran outfielder Lane Thomas has been activated off the injured list and will be batting second in Cleveland's lineup tonight in Detroit. The Guardians have also placed outfielder Will Brennan on the injured list in a corresponding move. Brennan has been dealing with left forearm inflammation, and it was determined a trip to the IL would be the best way for him to recover, in addition to making the activation of Thomas a little bit easier to navigate from an organizational point of view. Brennan was 1-11 in six games before this roster move was made.

Thomas has been out of action since April 19th, as he was unable to avoid being placed on the injured list after being hit by a pitch during Cleveland's Home Opener. In an attempt to avoid an IL trip, Thomas did not play for a week, hoping that he could return to action sooner than if were to be placed on the IL. Thomas did return in a limited capacity, but it was determined that a stint on the injured list was the best course of action to take.

It was a less-than-ideal start to the season for Thomas prior to hitting the IL. Thomas was 7-45 at the plate, striking out 15 times compared to walking just once. This was not the level of production the Guardians were hoping to get from Thomas, and pairing his struggles with those of Nolan Jones and Jhonkensy Noel, Cleveland's outfield looked to be in some pretty rough shape outside of Steven Kwan. Luckily, Thomas's absence cleared a path for Angel Martinez to receive additional playing time, and he has proven to be a meaningful contributor in time he would not have been afforded otherwise, so there is a positive coming from Thomas being hit by a pitch on April 8th.

The timing could not be better for Thomas to come back into the fold for Cleveland. The Guardians have a chance to disrupt the state of the AL Central this weekend if things go their way, and they have a much better chance of doing so with Thomas in the lineup.