With Jo Adell in question, Guardians chase series win vs. Giants

Even when something good happens for the Cleveland Guardians this season, something bad seems to follow in short order.

Trade-deadline acquisition Jo Adell provided the latest example. He suffered a left knee injury in the same game in which he had a career-high six RBIs, including a personal-best 455-foot homer Tuesday in an 8-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.

Adell left the game in the eighth inning and will be evaluated further on Wednesday, when Cleveland hosts San Francisco in the second contest of their three-game interleague series.

Guardians left-hander Parker Messick (9-7, 2.59 ERA) will oppose Giants lefty Matt "Tugboat" Wilkinson in his major league debut.

In the first inning Tuesday, Adell fouled a pitch from Carson Whisenhunt squarely off his left kneecap, deflecting it into his right knee. Three pitches later, Adell hammered a three-run shot for the longest homer at Progressive Field since 2024.

Adell battled through the discomfort to deliver a two-run single in the second inning and an RBI single in the fourth. After being removed from the lineup four innings later, he spent an extended period in the training room after the final pitch.

"Jo obviously fouled that ball of his knee pretty hard and was feeling some pretty good pain as the game went on," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "We had to get him off his feet, and we'll see how he feels coming in tomorrow."

The Guardians would have to add an outfielder to the roster if Adell winds up on the injured list, already being down one starter. Rookie Chase DeLauter remains out after straining his left hamstring Saturday against the San Diego Padres.

Weak-hitting Petey Halpin took over for Adell, while Gold Glove Award-winning left fielder Steven Kwan and Angel Martinez have no backups available with DeLauter still on the active roster.

Seven-time All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez also still is rounding into form after missing five weeks with a broken left wrist. He recorded his first three-hit game since June 3 in the opener against San Francisco.

"We're pretty banged up on the position player side, so we've got a lot of guys we're monitoring," Vogt said. "But Jose is feeling better, you can just tell. The way he's attacking the ball, he's looking more and more like himself."

Messick, an All-Star in his first full season in the majors, hasn't allowed more than two runs in seven starts since the end of June. His ERA is 1.96 during that time frame, but his record is 2-2 because of a lack of offensive support.

Though Messick is 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA in eight career interleague games, he has not faced San Francisco.

Wilkinson will have plenty of fans in the stands, having been drafted by the Guardians in 2023 and becoming a fan favorite at their suburban affiliate, Class-A Lake County. He is 6-6 with a 3.40 ERA and 96 strikeouts this year, playing with four teams.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pounder, who was traded to the Giants for starting catcher Patrick Bailey on May 9, said he is looking forward to pitching against his former minor-league teammates.

"It's cool to see some familiar faces," Wilkinson said. "I've definitely been around a lot of those guys the past few years in spring training, so that would be awesome."

It's also a homecoming for San Francisco outfielder Turner Hill, who grew up in Marietta, Ohio, and had a full section of supporters on Tuesday. The rookie received a lengthy ovation after doubling as a pinch hitter in the ninth, one of the few highlights for his team.

"It was a pretty awesome moment for a young kid," Giants manager Tony Vitello said. "Maybe I'm trying too hard to find the positives, but for a moment in time, that was something to get excited about."

--Field Level Media