Can Fry provide Guardians with much-needed stability at No. 2 spot?

CLEVELAND — The Guardians’ struggle to gain production out of the No. 2 hole in their lineup has been a recurring problem over the first two-plus months of the 2025 season. It’s something manager Stephen Vogt has acknowledged on multiple occasions before discussing the latest guy who got an opportunity to hit there.

Friday, that guy was David Fry, who went 2-for-3 and hit his first homer of the season out of the two-hole in the Guardians’ 4-2 loss to the Astros at Progressive Field. The 29-year-old also hit a single in the fourth inning and recorded a walk in the eighth inning.

“It was really nice,” Fry said of his sixth-inning home run, which went a Statcast-projected 361 feet over the right-field wall. “Obviously [I] wish we could have gotten a win with it, but fun to be back in there, and [it was] nice to square one up.”

Fry’s performance was just another example of why his return means so much to the Guardians. He missed the first two-plus months of the season while rehabbing from right UCL revision surgery that he underwent in November. Even though he is limited to DH and pinch-hit duties, he can still impact a game with his bat.

Doing it out of the second spot would fill a great need for the Guardians, who have yet to find someone to consistently slot between 2024 All-Stars Steven Kwan and José Ramírez. Cleveland’s No. 2 hitters have slashed .171/.226/.293 with seven homers in 271 plate appearances this season.

Ramírez has made the most starts in the second spot (19), something Vogt noted Cleveland would try during Spring Training. However, he has almost exclusively hit third since mid-April, where he has long typically slotted for Cleveland.

Removing Ramírez’s production, Guardians No. 2 hitters have just a .129/.182/.190 slash line with two home runs in 177 plate appearances. Part of the issue is Cleveland has been without Lane Thomas. He made 14 starts hitting second last season (following his July 29 trade from the Nationals) and four this year.

Thomas has played just 17 games this season due to separate IL stints for a right wrist bone bruise and plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

Fry made his most starts in the No. 5 hole during the 2024 regular season (59), compared to just four in the No. 2 hole. He did make five starts in the latter during the 2024 postseason, when he cemented himself as a playoff hero in Cleveland. And, by the sound of it, he has the right mindset for hitting there.

“I kind of have the mentality of, ‘How can I get on base in front of José and [Carlos] Santana and Manzo [Kyle Manzardo] and those guys?” Fry said. “Trying to find a really good pitch to hit. If it’s not there — whether it’s a base hit or a walk — you’re just trying to find a good way to get on base for those big guys.”

That played out in the eighth inning, when the Guardians trailed by two and Fry got on base to start a potential game-tying rally. He fell down 0-1 against Astros right-hander Bryan Abreu by chasing an 85.8 mph slider down and away. Fry then laid off another slider in a similar spot, and two four-seamers up.

After taking a slider over the heart of the plate, Fry laid off on another one down and away to walk. Ramírez followed by lining into a double play, but Fry’s at-bat gave him a shot to even things up.

“[He’s] more than a power hitter,” outfielder Angel Martínez said of Fry. “Obviously, he’s a really good hitter. He can hit for power, he can put it in contact, he can bunt. He can hit against righties, lefties. He’s really good.”

Fry will be limited to DH duties as he continues his throwing rehab and progression. He’ll DH vs. lefties, get some starts against righties and pinch-hit. With how his role is set up right now, not to mention how the Guardians enjoy mixing and matching, the No. 2 spot could still be a bit of a changing role.

But there’s a lot to like about what Fry brings, certainly in that spot.

“He does a great job of, when it comes to a big moment and we need a hit, it seems like he’s been that guy for the last couple years,” said starter Logan Allen, who tossed six innings of four-run ball. “And just putting good at-bats together consistently and just being another pest for the other team to worry about.”