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The Cleveland Guardians have gotten off to somewhat of a rocky start. They're 15-18, third place in the American League Central. The front office has shaken things up to improve the team's performance.
Outfielder Oscar Gonzalez has been optioned to Triple-A. He was struggling at the plate, hitting .192 on the season. The team has recalled utility man Tyler Freeman in his place.
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Manager Terry Francona doesn't believe they are helping Gonzalez by playing him sparingly. They're hoping Gonzalez can find his swing again in the minors, and they can bring him back up when he is ready.
Francona believes he needs some consistent playing time to get back to prior form. It couldn't have been an easy decision for the coaching staff, as Gonzalez was a monster for them last season.
"Hate to say it, but Gonzalez needed this. Get that swing back on track, Spongebob!" one fan tweeted.
"It's been decades since our outfield has been good. Or even average," another fan tweeted.
Cleveland Guardians fans saw this move coming. Gonzalez has not looked comfortable in the box yet this season.
Fans are tired of how weak their outfield has been. Over the last few years, they seem to have had a revolving door of outfielders.
Cleveland Guardians need to get their bats going
The Cleveland Guardians were expected to be a playoff contender before the season started. Their under .500 record has fans ringing the alarm bells as they have been inconsistent this season.
The team generated hype when they signed first baseman Josh Bell in the offseason. It was thought that he would help sluggers Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor. Bell hasn't been hitting the ball that well this season. He's hitting .216 this year with three home runs.
Cleveland is dead-last in the MLB in home runs hit. There's not much offensively to like about this team right now.
Another player that has been struggling to start the season is Amed Rosario. He's been dealing with a back issue that causes him to miss a series. He could use an IL stint, as he's hitting .214 this season.
The Guardians aren't as bad as the production shown so far. They have the talent to put up big numbers each game. They need to get out of their slump and start hitting the baseball.
