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here were some rumblings on social media Thursday night that the Cleveland Guardians were getting ready to make a major roster move before the start of their homestand against the Seattle Mariners.
As Cleveland announced their starting lineup for Friday night’s matchup, that news became official.

The Guardians have made it official and have called up their No. 3 overall prospect Cooper Ingle to join the big-league roster.
Ingle’s call-up really has been a long time coming, especially for a Guardians offense that has been struggling over the last few weeks.
He’s been Cleveland’s best hitter at the Minor League level all season long, batting .284/.416/.551 with 12 home runs, an average exit velocity of 89.2 mph. Ingle has also demonstrated impressive plate discipline, with a whiff rate of 19.1 percent and a walk rate of 18.6 percent.
It remains to be seen how these stats will translate to the big-league level, but all indications are that Ingle should be a productive hitter once he gets his feet under him.

Columbus Clippers Cooper Ingle (2) hits the ball during the home opener against the Indianapolis Indians at Huntington Park on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Of course, the next question is, what will Ingle’s role be with the Guardians?

The prospect has been a catcher his entire collegiate and Minor League career. Still, the Guardians have plenty of backstop options at the big-league level, primarily Austin Hedges, Patrick Bailey, and David Fry.
Ingle has started working in left field, but he’s still incredibly raw at the position if that’s where the Guardians plan to play Ingle on defense, growing pains and learning curves must be expected.
In terms of Ingle’s debut, he’ll be Cleveland’s designated hitter and bat fifth in the lineup on Friday against the Mariners.
In a corresponding move, Cleveland designated OF Stuart Fairchild for assignment to make room on the MLB roster and the 40-man roster.

Fairchild ultimately played in 14 games with the Guardians and went 3-for-19 (.158 AVG) in those appearances. The veteran outfielder also logged a strikeout rate of 51.9 percent and a walk rate of 25.9 percent.
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