Kayfus is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Rays.
With the Guardians facing right-handed starters in each of the last four games, the left-handed-hitting Kayfus was included in the lineup for all of those contests and went a collective 2-for-13 with a walk and a pair of extra-base hits. The rookie appears to have established himself as a strong-side platoon player at this point, but he still has work to do before earning a regular lineup spot versus lefties. He'll cede his spot in right field to Nolan Jones on Monday as the Rays send southpaw Ian Seymour to the hill.
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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: Scuffling after strong start
Rotowire
Kayfus went 1-for-4 in Saturday's 10-1 loss to Atlanta.
Kayfus, who got off to a strong start in the majors, has hit the skids of late. Over the last six games, the rookie has gone 2-for-18 (.111) with a 25.0 percent strikeout rate. Overall, Kayfus has struck out 14 times in 44 plate appearances (31.8 percent).
Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Belts first major-league homer
Rotowire
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.
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: Promotion official
Rotowire
The Guardians selected Kayfus' contract from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday.
After turning in an .893 OPS through 289 plate appearances in Triple-A, the 23-year-old Kayfus will now reach the big leagues for the first time in his young career. Capable of fielding first base and the corner outfield positions, Kayfus will likely see most of his playing time in the outfield, replacing Daniel Schneemann as Cleveland's primary right fielder against right-handed starters. Johnathan Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Earns RBI in debut
Rotowire
Kayfus went 0-for-4 with one RBI in Saturday's 5-4 win over the Twins.
Kayfus got the start in right field and earned his first major-league RBI on a groundout in the second inning. The 23-year-old looks to have a path to playing time in right field initially, but his performance will dictate if he's able to maintain an everyday role. Prior to his promotion, he batted .283 with an .893 OPS, 13 home runs, 43 RBI, 39 runs scored and two stolen bases over 68 games in his first taste of Triple-A action, so he looks more than ready to get an extended big-league audition.
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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: Avoids serious injury
Rotowire
Kayfus (knee) went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored in Sunday's game against Triple-A Toledo.
Kayfus was removed from Thursday's matchup against Triple-A Columbus after suffering a bruised knee, but he was back in the lineup for Saturday's game. He appeared more comfortable at the dish Sunday and responded with a pair of base knocks.
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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: Knocking on MLB door
Rotowire
Kayfus is batting .318/.386/.583 with 22 extra-base hits, 22 RBI and 20 runs scored over 40 games for Triple-A Columbus.
Kayfus has rocked two minor-league levels in 2025. He lasted just three weeks at Double-A Akron -- where he slashed .364/.475/.591 over 18 games -- before a promotion to the Clippers at the end of April. His primary position is first base, but the organization has him learning corner outfield. He's appeared in seven games (six starts) in left field and 17 (14 starts) in right. While he's currently blocked at first base by Carlos Santana and Kyle Manzardo, the Guardians are getting sub-par production in right field, which could be an option for Kayfus.
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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.
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Guardians' C.J. Kayfus: Maximizing power output
Rotowire
Kayfus, 22, is slashing .333/.432/.613 with six home runs and an 18 percent strikeout rate in 25 games for High-A Lake County.
Kayfus slugged .548 during his time at Miami, and while he hit .302 in the Cape Cod League in 2022, he hit only one home run in 29 games. His power has translated more than anticipated against Single-A and High-A pitching thus far, as Kayfus was seen as a hit-over-power first baseman entering the draft. Kayfus' 29.2 percent hard-hit rate is middling for an older first base prospect, but he has mastered the lift and pull strategy, hitting 45.9 percent of balls to the pull side and just 33.8 percent of balls on the ground.
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