David Fry emerged as a valuable member of the Cleveland Guardians in 2024 for a variety of reasons. He was hitting an All-Star level for the first half of the season, all while being an ultra-utility player in the field.
Being able to have Fry play the outfield and infield, and even serve as a backup behind the plate, gave the Guardians so many more lineup options both heading into a matchup and during in-game substitutions.
However, the last time Fry was caught in a game was on June 23, 2024, the same day he exited a game against the Toronto Blue Jays with right elbow inflammation; an injury that would require surgery once the offseason came later in the year.
Fry had to undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his baseball career in the Fall of ‘24, with the first coming in college.
Finally, 18 months later, Fry was back behind the plate in Cleveland’s spring training matchup against the Athletics on Sunday.
Fry said that finally being back behind the plate after elbow surgery and a broken face was, “So much fun. So cool after a long rehab process of being able to get back there.”
Even though his job was to catch Parker Messick, Fry said what he really wanted to do the most was throw the ball. Something he didn’t do in a game at all, at any position, in 2026.
“Our pitchers were too good, and they didn't really give up base runners,” said Fry. “But as soon as somebody got on base, I was like, I just want to backpick somebody. I just want to throw the ball, be back to a normal catcher.”
Fry said he’s of course worked on the receiving, blocking, and all of the other fundamentals that come with being a catcher, but it was the pitch calling and “flow” of the game that he really missed and enjoyed being a part of on Sunday.
Out of everyone in Cleveland’s dugout, Stephen Vogt knows firsthand the work that goes into being a catcher, but how rewarding being the team’s backstop is, too.
The Guardians skipper said, “So much fun to watch David catch. Just to see him back there again. It's been a long road for him to get back. So today was a really special day for David, and I thought he did a great job buying the plate. “
On top of that, Vogt also thought that Fry’s arm looked really good, too, which is arguably the most important takeaway from Sunday’s game.
“His throwdowns in between innings were strong and on the money,” continued Cleveland’s manager. “He did the one back pick. He was itching for somebody to run, and I think that just speaks to it's been a couple of years for David, where he's had to think about how bad his elbow is gonna hurt. And so for him to be able to just throw, not worried about it, that was really fun.”
The Guardians are a better team and have more flexibility with Fry able to catch, and now that Fry is officially making his long-awaited return behind the plate, they head into the 2026 season with that versatility.
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