Steven Kwan Scratched With Neck Stiffness, Missing Second Straight Game for Guardians

Steven Kwan woke up stiff on Saturday and paid the price. The Cleveland Guardians outfielder was yanked from the lineup before the matinee against Toronto due to neck stiffness, marking back-to-back games on the sidelines for the team's leadoff man. Manager Stephen Vogt made the call during his pregame media session, noting Kwan simply didn't feel right when he rolled out of bed.

This wasn't a surprise scratch either. Kwan had already missed Friday's 8-6 win over the Blue Jays, a decision Vogt had planned out in advance. Cleveland wanted to give their guy a breather on the turf at Rogers Centre, especially after the team already had Thursday off. Vogt explained the rationale: "That was an off-day yesterday. Obviously, we put him in the game late and he was fine. Neck stiffness. It's a caution with the turf, everything else." The good news? Kwan did get into Friday's game late, entering center field for the bottom of the ninth without issue. Saturday's neck tightness was separate from that planned rest day.

Guardians Shuffle the Deck

With Kwan unavailable, the Guardians had to reshuffle. Angel Martínez slid over from his initial spot hitting fifth in left field to take the leadoff position and play center. George Valera drew into the starting lineup for the first time, taking over left field and hitting fifth. It's a move that forces the team to adjust early in the season, but sometimes that's baseball.

Elsewhere: Church Robs Mariners in St. Louis

Out in St. Louis, the Mariners and Cardinals were slugging it out. A home run derby erupted, with both teams combining for seven bombs in the first four innings. Mariners catcher Mitch Garver tried to join the party in the top of the sixth, crushing a center-cut fastball from reliever George Soriano deep into left field. Cardinals left fielder Nathan Church had other plans. Church tracked it back to the wall and made an acrobatic grab with 5.8 seconds of hang time, robbing Garver of what would have been his first home run of the season. Had it gone out, it would have been the eighth homer of the day, tying the 2026 single-game mark. The Reds and Tigers had matched that total just the night before in their own slugfest. Church wasn't done showing off either. He hit two home runs himself, including a go-ahead blast in the seventh. The Mariners fell 3-2.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.