Due to right hamstring soreness, Kwan was scratched from Sunday’s game against the Yankees, and he will miss his fourth straight game.
Oscar Mercado will bat eighth and start in left field. Kwan is out again for Wednesday’s game against the Angels due to a hamstring injury.
Kwan exploded onto the spotlight with eight hits in his first three games, but he’s been hitless since. 212/.310/.303.
As a result, he appears to have drifted into something resembling a platoon position, as his off day against Framber Valdez means he’s already faced five of the Guardians’ previous seven southpaws.
Oscar Mercado will start in the right field, while Ernie Clement will start in left. With his first career home run in the third inning, Kwan knotted the game at two.
He also extended his hitting streak to five games, with four RBI and three runs scored during that time. Over the course of 78 plate appearances, Kwa has a.328/.423/.484 batting line, demonstrating patience and contact skills.
Kwan’s right hamstring soreness kept him out of five games, but it didn’t stop him from hitting. This season, the rookie outfielder has risen to prominence at a breakneck pace, but regression is a distinct possibility.
He’s cutting himself. In 15 games, he has hit 354/.459/.500 with seven RBI, ten runs scored, a triple, and five doubles, but he has yet to hit his first major-league home run.
Kwan’s line is bolstered by a 15.8% walk rate and a.386 BABIP; the patience at the plate is long-term, but the luck isn’t.