Multiple Guardians Leave Game With Injury In Loss To White Sox

Josh Naylor and Mike Zunino were subbed out as the Cleveland Guardians dropped the series opener to the Chicago White Sox.

The Cleveland Guardians' 8-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox had weird vibes around it all night. 

The first three innings flew by as Lance Lynn and Shane Bieber flew through the opposing lineups and there was very little offense. The rest of the game felt dragged out as the White Sox showed off their offense after the fifth inning. 

Chicago exploded for six runs in the fifth inning, but that wasn't the only talking point on Tuesday night. The Guardians also had to pull to regular starters during the game with injury concerns.

Well ... #Guardians | #ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/ot9lad5OBO

— Cleveland Guardians On SI (@GuardiansOnSI) May 17, 2023

Josh Naylor

The first player to be taken out of the game was Josh Naylor. The first baseman appeared to grimace at his lower leg following a stretch on defense. The team later announced that he left the game with leg tightness.

Terry Francona provided an update on Naylor after the game saying:

"When he gets examined, he looks strong, which is good. I think they’re trying to figure out if he hyperextended it if he strained it, but we’ll know more tomorrow."

Naylor's absence allowed Gabriel Arias to slide to first and Brayan Rocchio to make his Major League debut in which he got his first hit too.

Mike Zunino

The play that unraveled the game for the Guardians occurred in the fifth inning when Mike Zunino was called for catcher's interference. Zunino stuck his glove hand out, which was hit by Luis Robert Jr.'s bat during his swing.

It took Cleveland's catcher a second to collect himself after the play as he clearly didn't feel great after the play. Tito stressed after the game that Zunino was fine, but that he thought removing him was the right thing to do with how the game was going.

David Fry subbed in and caught the rest of the game. 

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Read More:

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Guardians Pitchers Shut Down Two Of The Best Pitchers In The World

Josh Naylor's Historic Series Leads Guardians Past Angels

Tanner Bibee Strikes Out Seven In Another Dominant Start For The Guardians

Cleveland Doesn't Hit A Lot Of Home Runs, But It's Electric When They Do

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