Noel started in right field and went 0-for-2 before being lifted for a pinch hitter in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Reds.
Noel's average slipped to .150 following his hitless day, and he has one hit over the last 23 at-bats. He's been part of a platoon in right field with Nolan Jones, but something may have to change soon. Guardians right fielders rank last in batting average (.170), 29th in OPS (.517) and 29th in slugging (.288). Lane Thomas (wrist), who is expected to return in the coming days, could help alleviate the problem.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Stuck in short side of platoon
Rotowire
Noel is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
After making three straight starts last week, Noel appeared to be encroaching on Nolan Jones' role as the Guardians' top right fielder, but Noel looks like he'll remain in the short side of a platoon for now. Noel finds himself on the bench Wednesday for the fourth game in a row, with the Guardians having faced right-handed starting pitchers in each of those contests.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Idle for Game 2
Rotowire
Noel isn't in the lineup for the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader versus Washington.
Noel entered Game 1 as a pinch hitter and went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. He'll begin the nightcap on the bench as well while Nolan Jones starts in right field, batting sixth.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Retreating to bench Sunday
Rotowire
Noel is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Blue Jays.
Though Noel is on the bench for the series finale, he had started in right field five of the past six games. The Guardians have deployed Noel as a short-side platoon player for most of the season, but he's been getting more opportunities against right-handed pitching of late while Nolan Jones has struggled to get the job done. Jones is back in the lineup Sunday but is slashing just .160/.284/.267 with a 33 percent strikeout rate over his 88 plate appearances on the season.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Starts against lefty
Rotowire
Noel started in right field and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Kansas City.
Noel, who as usual was in the lineup against a left-hander, singled and scored in the Guardians' two-run second inning. He's scored a run in four straight games. Noel isn't chasing as much as he did last season, but those better swing decisions have not resulted in improvement. Big Christmas is batting .188 through 13 games.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Starts opener
Rotowire
Noel started in right field and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Thursday's 7-4 win over Kansas City.
Noel is expected to serve as the short side of a platoon in right field with the recently acquired Nolan Jones. Noel had a hopeful camp, batting .333/.328/.509 with three home runs but also struck out 19 times in 57 at-bats.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Competing for starting job
Rotowire
Noel and Will Brennan enter spring training in a competition for the starting job in right field, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Those two platooned in right for the second half of 2024, and that arrangement could return this season. The Guardians would like to have a bat that replaces the power lost when Josh Naylor was traded to Arizona. Brennan hasn't replicated the promise he showed when he first appeared in the majors in 2022. The right-handed hitting Noel bopped more home runs (13) and slugged higher (.486) than Brennan (eight, .388), but he could be a liability against righty pitching and needs to improve selectivity at the dish to become a lineup regular. Noel had a 31.8 strikeout percentage with a chase percentage of 45.0, both among the lowest in MLB. If neither player delivers what manager Stephen Vogt wants, Cleveland could seek another option.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Starting in Game 1 of ALDS
Rotowire
Noel is starting in right field and batting seventh Saturday against Detroit in Game 1 of the ALDS.
Will Brennan got the start in right field in two of the Guardians' final three regular-season games, but Noel is getting the call for the first game of the ALDS against the Tigers. Detroit is slated to use left-hander Tyler Holton as the opener in the contest, and righty Reese Olson is expected to follow in bulk relief. Noel batted .246 against southpaws and just .205 versus righties during the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Losing work against RHPs
Rotowire
Noel is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Twins.
Noel will take a seat against a right-handed pitcher (Pablo Lopez) for the second day in a row and may have lost hold of an everyday role in right field while he's struggled to a .125/.176/.250 slash line with a 32.4 percent strikeout rate thus far in September. The lefty-hitting Will Brennan will get the nod in right field Monday and could be set to occupy the strong side of platoon with Noel over the final two weeks of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Losing out on everyday role
Rotowire
Noel is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.
Noel has opened September by going 2-for-14 with five strikeouts and no walks, and his downward-trending performance at the dish appears to have cost him a regular spot in the Cleveland lineup. He'll hit the bench Sunday for the fourth time in five contests, with each of those absences coming against right-handed starting pitchers.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Absent from Cleveland lineup
Rotowire
Noel is not in the lineup for Friday's contest against the Rangers.
Noel had started each of the last four games and eight of the last nine, but he will begin Friday's series opener on the bench. Will Brennan is occupying right field for the Guardians.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Collects first two-homer game
Rotowire
Noel went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI during Monday's win over the Cubs.
Noel's first homer was a three-run blast off Chicago starter Shota Imanaga in the fourth. He followed that up with a solo dinger off Nate Pearson in the sixth that increased the lead to five. It was the first career multiple home run performance for Noel, who also posted a career-high four RBI during the winning effort. It was a nice performance for the 23-year-old rookie who now has eight homers in his first 80 at-bats in the majors, though he has started just four games since the arrival of Lane Thomas at the trade deadline.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Crushes second homer
Rotowire
Noel went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Saturday's 7-2 win over the Royals.
In his fourth big-league game, Noel launched his second big-league homer, and it wasn't a cheap one -- the 22-year-old ripped a Cole Ragans slider down the left-field line in the fourth inning, and the ball left his bat at 115.4 mph. Per Mandy Bell of MLB.com, it was the hardest-hit home run by a Cleveland player since Statcast was introduced in 2015. Noel has started two of four games since his promotion, going 3-for-9 with a double in addition to the long balls, but the Guardians will find room for him in the lineup more often if he keeps displaying this kind of power.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Summoned to big leagues
Rotowire
The Guardians recalled Noel from Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday. He'll start at first base and bat sixth in the Guardians' series finale in Baltimore.
Noel will hit the big leagues for the first time. The 22-year-old slashed .295/.359/.578 with 18 home runs over 65 games with Columbus this season. Much of that production has come since the start of May, with Noel producing a .343/.404/.651 line with 14 home runs in 43 contests over that stretch. Noel has also struck out at just an 18.1-percent rate since May 1, which is a positive development for a player who has often struggled to make contact during his minor-league career. While he can handle first base and the corner outfield spots in a pinch, Noel's best shot at consistent playing time in Cleveland could come at designated hitter.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Optioned to Columbus
Rotowire
The Guardians optioned Noel to Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Noel went 5-for-22 with a 10:0 K:BB over nine Cactus League showings. The 22-year-old has some of the best raw power in the organization but needs to tamp down the strikeouts.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Will get look in multiple spots
Rotowire
Noel will get some time at first base, left field and right field during 2023, Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com reports.
Noel is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Columbus, where he received a late promotion and played four games last season. Across three levels of the minors in 2022, he hit 32 home runs. He still strikes out at a high rate -- that mark was at 27.4 percent last season, but the power remains enticing if he can improve his plate discipline. The 21-year-old is a natural first baseman, but getting more time in the corner outfield at the highest levels of the minors could open more pathways for his eventual major-league debut.
... See More... See Less
Guardians' Jhonkensy Noel: Promoted to Triple-A
Rotowire
Noel was promoted to Triple-A Columbus on Thursday.
The 21-year-old infield prospect slashed .242/.338/.488 over 67 games in Double-A Akron this season and will now finish his season in Columbus. If he enjoys similar success at a higher level, there is a possibility that he may crack the majors some time in 2023.
... See More... See Less
Indians' Jhonkensy Noel: Promoted to High-A
Rotowire
Noel was promoted to High-A Lake County on Tuesday.
It was a well-earned promotion for the infielder, who tore through Low-A with a .393/.426/.693 slash line, 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 36 runs scored and two stolen bases in 38 games. Noel will look to keep up the strong hitting at High-A for the remainder of the 2021 season.
... See More... See Less
Indians' Jhonkensy Noel: Back in action
Rotowire
Low-A Lynchburg activated Noel (ankle) from its 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Noel went 3-for-14 (.214) across five games in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League. He'll look to regain an everyday role with Lynchburg now that he's healthy. Noel's slashed .347/.368/.639 across 76 plate appearances, although it seems unlikely he'll move up in the organization during 2021.
... See More... See Less
Indians' Jhonkensy Noel: Suffers sprained ankle
Rotowire
Noel was confirmed to have avoided a fractured ankle Tuesday but does have a sprain.
Noel got off to an excellent start this season in his first taste of full-season ball, hitting .347/.368/.639 with five homers in 17 games for Low-A Lynchburg. The severity of his sprain and his expected return date are not yet clear.
