Kayfus isn't in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Dodgers.
Kayfus has yet to record his first hit of the season through 11 plate appearances, and he'll take a seat Tuesday with Shohei Ohtani on the mound for Los Angeles. Angel Martinez will fill the resulting void in left field and bat ninth.
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Guardians' CJ Kayfus: Idle Monday
Rotowire
Kayfus is not in the Guardians' starting lineup against the Dodgers on Monday.
Kayfus will take a seat for Monday's series opener while the Guardians roll with Steven Kwan, Daniel Schneemann and Angel Martinez in the outfield from left to right. Kayfus went 0-for-8 with two walks, one run and four strikeouts across three games against the Mariners this past week. He also struggled in his start in left field Sunday, which could limit the amount of at-bats he sees until he shores up that part of his game.
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Guardians' CJ Kayfus: Not in Thursday's lineup
Rotowire
Kayfus isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Mariners.
Kayfus was making starts in the outfield and at first base for the Guardians toward the end of last year, but he will stay put on the bench to begin Cleveland's season opener. Steven Kwan, Daniel Schneemann and Chase DeLauter will start across the outfield Thursday, and Rhys Hoskins will get the nod at first base against Seattle righty Logan Gilbert.
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Guardians' CJ Kayfus: Left off projected roster
Rotowire
Kayfus was not included in the latest 26-man roster projection for the Guardians compiled by Zack Meisel of The Athletic.
Entering spring training, Kayfus had been in line for opportunities at first base and designated hitter, but the acquisition of Rhys Hoskins after camp opened put a blocker in that plan. That left outfield as the only viable path to playing time for Kayfus, who is competing with other prospects, Chase DeLauter and George Valera. Kayfus is 3-for-20 (.150) with five walks, three extra-base hits (including a home run) and two RBI over 10 Cactus League games.
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Guardians' CJ Kayfus: Role becomes less clear
Rotowire
Kayfus' path to a roster spot is impacted by Cleveland's signing of first baseman Rhys Hoskins, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
At the start of training camp, Kayfus was seen as part of a rotation at first base, designated hitter and right field, but the Hoskins signing changed that. It now looks like Hoskins and Kyle Manzardo could make up a platoon at first base while also being part of the mix at DH. In that event, Kayfus' path might only be in right field, where Chase DeLauter, Nolan Jones and George Valera are also vying for opportunities.
Kayfus entered Saturday's game as a pinch hitter, stayed in to play first base and was hit by a pitch in a 3-2 win over Texas. He went 0-for-1 with an RBI.
Kayfus was the subject of an odd walk-off victory, when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded that scored the game-winning run and clinched the postseason for the Guardians. Cleveland's not done there; it can finish tops in the AL Central with a win Sunday or a Detroit loss. Kayfus has been a streaky hitter since his call-up in early August, but he's finishing the regular season on a high note with a .905 OPS, six doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI over 19 September games. The rookie should have a roster spot when the Guardians' postseason begins.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Doubles twice in loss
Rotowire
Kayfus went 2-for-2 with two doubles and an RBI in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Tigers.
Kayfus doubled in Cleveland's first run in the second inning and doubled again in his second plate appearance before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning. He's been productive during the Guardians' playoff push, going 11-for-34 (.324) with four doubles, two home runs, eight RBI, one steal and five runs scored over the last 12 contests. Kayfus holds down the strong side of a platoon in right field with occasional starts at first base.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Idle for Game 1
Rotowire
Kayfus isn't in the lineup for the first game of Saturday's doubleheader against Minnesota.
Kayfus snapped his five-game hitting streak with an 0-for-2 performance Friday, and he'll stay put in the dugout to begin Saturday's festivities. Kyle Manzardo will get the nod at first base, and George Valera will cover right field with Kayfus out.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Smacks two-run homer
Rotowire
Kayfus went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run during the Guardians' 3-1 win over the White Sox on Saturday.
Kayfus gave the Guardians the lead in the second inning with a long ball off Davis Martin. Kayfus has hit a home run in two consecutive outings and is up to four on the season. He has gone 7-for-23 (.304) with seven RBI and four doubles in nine games since Sept. 1.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Collects two doubles during win
Rotowire
Kayfus went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a sacrifice fly and a run scored in Wednesday's 8-1 win over the Red Sox.
Kayfus recorded doubles in the second and sixth innings before adding a sac fly in the eighth to bring home Cleveland's final run. The performance was a welcome turnaround for the 23-year-old, who entered the contest batting just .100 with two RBI and 10 strikeouts over his previous 10 games. On the season, Kayfus is now slashing .203/.264/.380 with 10 RBI and 11 runs scored across 88 plate appearances.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Pops homer in win
Rotowire
Kayfus went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Monday's 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks.
Kayfus went just 2-for-17 (.118) over six home games last week, adding one RBI while racking up six strikeouts. He also logged two steals in that span, but it'll be tough for him to make an impact with speed if he can't get on base more consistently. The homer was his second of the season, and he's now at a .239/.300/.435 slash line with seven RBI and eight runs scored through 50 plate appearances.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Belts first major-league homer
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Kayfus went 1-for-3 with a walk, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 3-1 win over the White Sox.
Kayfus extended the Guardians' lead to two runs in the sixth with a solo blast off Bryan Hudson. It was Kayfus' first major-league home run and fourth extra-base hit since being promoted from Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 2. He has gone 7-for-21 (.333) with five RBI and five runs through the first seven games of his major-league career.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Hitting bench Monday
Rotowire
Kayfus is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets.
After getting called up from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, the left-handed-hitting Kayfus picked up starts in right field and at designated hitter for the final two games of the weekend while the Twins sent a pair of right-handers to the hill. Though he went just 1-for-8 with a double, an RBI and a run between those two contests, Kayfus will likely get an extended look in Cleveland's everyday lineup versus righties. The rookie will need to earn his playing time against lefties, however, so it's not especially surprising that he'll be on the bench Monday while southpaw Sean Manaea toes the rubber for the Mets.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Set for promotion
Rotowire
The Guardians are expected to select Kayfus' contract from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
Kayfus has spent time in Double-A and Triple-A this season, slashing .300/390/.539 with 14 homers, 54 RBI and 51 runs scored through 369 plate appearances between the two levels. Now due to reach the majors for the first time, the 23-year-old's clearest path to playing time in Cleveland would seem to be in right field as a replacement for Daniel Schneemann, though Kayfus can also cover left field and first base, if needed.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Removed with knee contusion
Rotowire
Kayfus was removed from Thursday's game with Triple-A Columbus due to a knee contusion, SI.com reports.
Kayfus suffered the injury in a rundown early in Thursday's game and left immediately. Despite the scare, his exit was deemed precautionary, and he appears to have avoided a serious issue. Kayfus has had an impressive year, hitting .295/.384/.565 across 224 plate appearances and could be ready for his big-league debut at some point this summer.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Moves up to Double-A
Rotowire
The Guardians promoted Kayfus from High-A Lake County to Double-A Akron on Monday.
A third-round pick last summer, Kayfus has been unfazed by the competition at Single-A and High-A thus far during his professional career. After posting a .971 OPS in 17 games with Single-A Lynchburg in 2023, Kayfus was even more impressive with Lake County this season, slashing .338/.437/.578 while keeping his strikeout rate at a palatable 18 percent over 183 plate appearances.
