The Cleveland Guardians have a solid starting catcher in Bo Naylor, but there is a major question mark for their number two catcher. However, the Guardians got some good news after a new report on their backup catcher in his road to recovery.
According to a report from CBS Sports, Guardians catcher Austin Hedges resumed baseball activities on Tuesday, June 10th. Hedges is on the seven-day injured list for a concussion and is eligible to return from the injured list on Friday, June 13th.
The news comes after the Guardians' catcher progressed in his recovery, coming off getting hit by a backswing from New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.
The Guardians' fan favorite is almost ready to come back to the MLB roster, and replace Dom Nunez, who's only played in one game since Hedges was placed on the injured list. But, while Hedges returns to the roster, he isn't going to take over starting duties, as Naylor has been great for the Guardians in 2025.
While Naylor is batting just .192 on the year, he has nine home runs and 19 RBIs from the catcher position. He's just 25 years old and has been a lot better as of late, going 5/9 with one walk and two home runs across his last three games.
Hedges, meanwhile, is batting .113 with three home runs, all of which were solo shots. His offensive production has never been his strong suit, as he's primarily been a defense-first catcher. Regardless, the Guardians will be better off with Hedges behind the plate than Nunez, and backing up Naylor.
As Hedges is progressing towards returning to the MLB roster, the Guardians got a bit of good news. Cleveland is in solid shape in the division, but Hedges should provide much-needed depth and stability as the Guardians look to get back into a Wild Card spot in the American League.