Guardians call up slugging No. 2 prospect Manzardo

CLEVELAND — The Kyle Manzardo Era is about to begin in Cleveland.

According to sources, the Guardians are expected to add Manzardo to the Major League roster on Monday afternoon in place of outfielder Steven Kwan, who will be heading to the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. The team has not confirmed the moves.

Manzardo, the team’s No. 2 prospect and No. 52 overall according to MLB Pipeline, has done everything in his power to get this call. In his last 14 games alone, he’s hit eight homers with six doubles and 14 RBIs. His defense at first base has improved and his bat has been consistent since the Triple-A season began.

“He’s been good against left-handed pitching, his approach against lefties has improved,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said prior to Cleveland’s 4-1 victory over the Angels on Sunday. “He’s worked really hard at his defense, both his footwork around the bag and his throwing and he continues to put up and manage really good at-bats.”

The problem was, the Guardians didn’t have room for young first baseman on the active roster. Josh Naylor handles the everyday duties at first base. Gabriel Arias brings defensive versatility to the table. Estevan Florial is still young and the team needs a longer look at him before deciding if it wants to part ways. Ramón Laureano is one of the few right-handed bats the team can turn to off the bench. There wasn’t a missing piece of the puzzle that Manzardo would be able to fill, despite how well he was hitting in Columbus.