This season, the Cleveland Guardians greatly exceeded expectations. They were only a few plays away from advancing to the World Series. They are now entering the offseason with the goal of improving their roster in order to win the AL Central again in 2025. But their offseason is already off to a bad start.
According to a Guardians statement, 2024 All-Star designated hitter David Fry had elbow surgery to address a broken UCL in his right elbow. The projected rehabilitation period is 6-8 months before he can return to DH duties, with the schedule expanding to 12 months before he can play again. “Due to right elbow discomfort during the latter part of the 2024 season, David Fry was evaluated by Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, TX on Tuesday, Oct. 29,” the Guardians said in a statement.
“After consulting with Cleveland Guardians physicians and conducting a clinical evaluation, Dr. Meister confirmed the presence of a chronically inadequate ulnar collateral ligament with a resolving flexor strain of Fry’s right elbow. Dr. Meister advised Fry to have a surgical operation and then used a hybrid/internal brace and tendon graft reconstruction technique to treat the insufficient ligament on Wednesday, October 30 in Dallas, Texas.”
“Rehabilitation/recovery is expected to be in the 6-8 month range from a return to hit/DH standpoint and 12 months for a return to game activity from a position player standpoint.” Fry, 28, made his first All-Star appearance this season, hitting.263/.356/.448 with 14 home runs and 18 doubles. He is expected to return to the Guardians lineup in June or July, according to the predicted timeframe.
