Sunday turned into a day where it was easy to forget that there was supposed to be an update on Brayan Rocchio’s injury.
First, the Cleveland Guardians pulled off a 1-0 victory without Rocchio. They started Angel Genao at shortstop and needed just one run to win thanks to Gavin Williams’ brilliance on the mound.
Then there were the Cleveland Browns. Down in Tampa Bay taking on the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield, the Browns had a lengthy rain delay that they entered with the lead, then got the necessary defensive stop after the delay to pull off a win. Somehow, they had defeated their former QB Mayfield, who had blossomed into a star since being sent out of town.
It’s definitely safe to assume that most Cleveland media attention was centered on the NFL on Sunday, not an MLB matchup against the lowly Athletics.
Still, it left something to be desired: an answer.
Brayan Rocchio Injury Update
Rocchio left Saturday’s game with an injury.
He made a play at shortstop and then was pulled in the middle innings.
The reason stated at the time was “precautionary” for “left leg tightness.”
This is what manager Stephen Vogt said after the game on Saturday:
“He’s been playing a lot. He’s has had a lot of soreness and just kind of flared up. And so in the game like that, felt like it was smart to get him off his feet.”
Vogt then told reporters that the Guardians would know more in the morning and have another update then.
Except Sunday morning came and went, and there isn’t a single obvious spot online that information exists about anything new with Rocchio.
The local media websites don’t have a Rocchio story. X (formerly Twitter) has mention that the Guardians would potentially be giving an update but then no follow-up with an actual update.
It seems like somehow, it flew under the radar.
Either there was no Rocchio update — which would be the simplest explanation for why none is out there to be found — or somehow no one reported it.
What This Means
The Guardians enter the final week of the regular season leading the AL Central Division and also with a decent chance at the final AL Wild Card spot even if the Chicago White Sox leapfrog them for first place in the division.
Of course, Rocchio would be a key guy to have right now. He leads MLB with four walk-off hits this season. It’s the time of year for a clutch hitter.
But the Guardians do have a ready-made replacement in Genao, who has looked comfortable in his MLB debut season, and so they don’t necessarily have to rush Rocchio.
Cleveland ideally will have Rocchio back by the playoffs, and maybe even a few games before. But with no update right now, it’s not clear when Rocchio might return.
Guardians’ Brayan Rocchio Injury Update is Missing