CLEVELAND — Chase DeLauter had an eventful first four innings to his major league career.
DeLauter dropped the first fly ball hit to him but later made a great throw to retire a Detroit baserunner during the fourth inning of Wednesday’s Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series.
The rookie center fielder is the first Cleveland player to make his big league debut in a postseason game.
It wasn't a great start though.
DeLauter dropped a high fly hit to center by Detroit's Gleyber Torres during the first inning. He had a tough time initially tracking the ball on a sunny afternoon before moving a couple steps to his right. The ball popped out of his glove when he tried to haul it in near the middle of his body, 323 feet from home plate.
The error put runners on first and second with no outs, but Tanner Bibee struck out the next three hitters to end the threat.
Bibee approached DeLauter in the dugout to give him a pat on the back and some reassurance.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said before the game he wasn't concerned about DeLauter being able to play center, despite the shadows and wind that can create challenges playing the outfield at Progressive Field in October.
“He’s dealt with sun, dealt with shadows his whole life,” Vogt said. “Go out and play baseball. There’s risk with anybody playing in elements. It’s not because you’ve never done it or because of this. Let’s go. Let’s see what happens.”
In the fourth inning, DeLauter fielded Javier Báez's hit and made a pinpoint throw to third base as Zach McKinstry was tagged out by José Ramírez. McKinstry was originally ruled safe, which would have put Detroit on top 2-1, but instant replay overruled the call, which took one run off the board and left it 1-1.
DeLauter, who turns 24 on Oct. 8, was batting seventh as the Guardians tried to avoid being eliminated. It is the first time a Cleveland player made his big league debut in a postseason game.
″Just with where we’re at. Offense has been a struggle for us and we’re looking to generate some more offense," Vogt said. “Chase has played a lot of center field, he’s been a very good outfielder. He’s been a very good hitter. We feel like this is the right move to do.”
Cleveland struck out 15 times and managed only four hits in a 2-1 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday.
DeLauter became the sixth player to debut in the postseason and the first since Tampa Bay pitcher Shane McClanahan, San Diego pitcher Ryan Weathers and Minnesota outfielder Alex Kirilloff in 2020, according to the Elias Sports Bureau,
Vogt said he told DeLauter on Monday there was a good chance he would play on Wednesday.
Selected 16th in the 2022 amateur draft, DeLauter hit .278 with five homers and 21 RBIs in 34 games at Triple-A Columbus.
Even though putting DeLauter out there might be considered a risk, Vogt noted it's not any different from what the team has done all season.
“We've pushed the envelope all year. Why stop now? We’ve had to do some really uncomfortable things all year,” Vogt said.
DeLauter likely would have been up at some point during the regular season, but he was sidelined by injuries for much of this year. He was hurt during a pregame workout at spring training on Feb. 28 and had bilateral core muscle surgery on March 4 for a sports hernia.
After eight games at the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Guardians, DeLauter played his first game this year for Triple-A Columbus on May 23, but he stayed in the lineup only until July 12. He had surgery 11 days later to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right wrist.
DeLauter had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League and had been taking batting practice at the organization’s Arizona complex before he was called up to the postseason roster.
“You’re making your major league debut and you’re in a wild card series and elimination game. Have fun, embrace it, enjoy it,” Vogt said. “Chase is ready. You can see it on his face how good of a player he is, and we’re going to roll with it, and we’re excited for him and his family.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb