Jo Adell homers, drives in six in Guardians’ win

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters that DeLauter is feeling better after receiving treatment during Monday’s off-day. He added that an MRI on his left hamstring didn’t reveal any structural issues. It’s an encouraging update after the 24-year-old rookie made an early exit from Sunday’s game with mild hamstring tightness. All signs point to DeLauter managing to avoid a trip to the injured list and returning to Cleveland’s lineup at some point this week. It’ll be Jo Adell and Angel Martínez in the outfield corners on Tuesday evening.

The homer was a 428-footer off Kyle Finnegan. Adell has started six of seven games since joining the Guardians and gone 4-for-24 with a rather surprising five walks. He walked just 16 times in 456 plate appearances for the Angels.

Considering the Guardians now have Patrick Bailey on the big league roster, another defensive-first catcher isn’t really a priority, so moving Cozart for Adell seems like good business. The 27-year-old has taken a step back this year, hitting .239/.287/.395 with 16 home runs and 62 RBI in 111 games, but he gives the Guardians some thump in the middle of their order. Adell is also under team control for one more season.

Catcher Jacob Cozart is one player going the other way. Given the way the Angels are stocking up on Angels, maybe Martínez is also involved. The Guardians have paid for ignoring their outfield in recent years, and Adell’s right-handed power will add balance to their lineup. He figures to take over in right field, with Chase DeLauter spending more time at DH. Martinez figures to lose at-bats, unless he’s in the deal.

Adell highlighted a five-run first inning for the Angels with a two-run blast off Matthew Liberatore, a 110 mph laser at 405 feet. He then added a base hit to lead off the fourth. That’s back-to-back days with a home run for Adell and his 15th of the season while hitting .243/.289/.402 with 44 runs scored and 57 RBI across 419 plate appearances.

The game should have ended two batters earlier, as Vaughn Grissom crushed a ball off the wall in right against Riley O’Brien with the tying run on second and the winning run on first. Though it bounced at least 40 feet away from Jordan Walker afterwards, pinch-runner Jose Siri was unable to score from first. O’Brien then intentionally walked Josh Lowe to set up the double play, only to throw four straight balls to Adell. The last plunked him on the elbow, though it would have ended the game either way. The struggling Adell, who was hitless in his previous six games, had already had a great night by that point. His 103.6-mph homer was actually his third hardest-hit ball of the game. He has 14 homers in 100 games this year.

Adell is 0-for-19 with one walk during the two-series stretch. He hit the ball hard twice today, but both were pounded right into the ground. Adell is still showing elite bat speed, and his 22.4 percent strikeout rate is the lowest mark of his career. One would think he’d be doing better than this, and he might be a candidate for a change-of-scenery trade before the deadline.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 27-year-old slugger. Josh Lowe will slide over to cover right field while Wade Meckler starts in left and will bat seventh against Rangers’ veteran right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

Adell and the Angels took it to the Rangers in this one. He homered in consecutive at-bats off starter MacKenzie Gore to help break this game open. Before Adell’s first tank, this game was 1-0. After his second – a 433 foot, 110 mph, three-run shot – it was 7-0 and the rout was on. These were his first home runs in nearly two weeks as he tries to get his season on track.

None of Adell’s hits left the bat at over 84 mph, but he managed a couple of liners that dropped in front of infielders and a groundball single. Adell had been in a 1-for-21 slump that dropped his average to .239.