Guardians option struggling Noel to Triple-A 3y1t6t

The Cleveland Guardians optioned struggling outfielder Jhonkensy Noel to Triple-A, the club announced Sunday. 2v5n4v

Cleveland recalled outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez in a corresponding roster move.

Noel is hitting .146 with a pair of home runs, 12 runs scored, and nine RBIs across 46 games this season. He has struck out 34 times and drawn only three walks in 103 at-bats.

"It hasn't been the start to the season that he would have liked or that we would have liked," manager Stephen Vogt said, according to The Associated Press. "We know how good of a player that he is, so we told Jhonkensy to just go play, go relax and go back to being you."

Noel was Cleveland's Opening Day starter in right field, but he struggled defensively, ranking in the 21st percentile in Baseball Savant's outs above average.

The 23-year-old emerged as a fan favorite in 2024, earning the nickname "Big Christmas." He hit 13 home runs and posted a .774 OPS in 67 regular-season contests last year. Noel also hit a clutch, game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 of Cleveland's ALCS matchup against the New York Yankees.