Lane Thomas

That's a good sign. Manzardo started just three games against left-handers last season, but the Guardians are going with him over Johnathan Rodriguez today. They're even batting him in the middle of the order. It looks like he'll probably hit third against righties. Lane Thomas is there today, but he'll hit lower versus righties.

This seemed like a foregone conclusion after Juan Brito was sent to the minor leagues, but we now have confirmation. The Guardians are high on Arias, and the 25-year-old did hit three home runs and slug .469 in 51 plate appearances this spring. He's probably only an option in AL-only leagues at this point. The full Guardians lineup is: LF Steven Kwan, 3B Jose Ramirez, CF Lane Thomas, Carlos Santana, DH Kyle Manzardo, Jhonkensy Noel, Bo Naylor, Gabriel Arias, Brayan Rocchio.

Thomas smoked a two-run shot off Harold Chirino. He picked up two more RBI in the sixth with his two-run single. Thomas is much better against lefties than right-handers, but he's just good enough against same-handed pitching to suggest he should be rostered in fantasy leagues; mainly because of his power/speed potential.

Ramirez has traditionally hit third for the Guardians, but manager Stephen Vogt is giving him a look in the second spot and has indicated he'd like to keep him there if Ramirez is comfortable with it. That'd be good news for Lane Thomas, who might replace Ramirez in the third spot. It's not so good for Kyle Manzardo, who made the most sense in the second spot against righties with Ramirez batting third.