Cleveland Guardians David Fry, Nic Enright to undergo surgery this offseason

Two Cleveland Guardians players are headed for surgery on Tuesday as the club awaits word on Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase's future.

Aug 27, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Nic Enright (59) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the ninth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians utility man David Fry is headed for surgery on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Zack Meisel.

Guardians postmortem:
*David Fry is having nasal surgery today
*Nic Enright will have Tommy John surgery soon
*Team hopes to have coaching staff back (though some could interview for managerial openings; Carl Willis will take time to mull his future)
*No clarity on Clase/Ortiz

— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) October 7, 2025

Fry's nasal surgery is to repair fractures that he suffered during a late September game, after being drilled by a Tarik Skubal fastball while trying to bunt.

Although certainly painful, following surgery the path to Fry rejoining the team should be clear and he should be all systems go come Spring Training.

The Guardians are certainly looking forward to hopefully having Fry for a full 162 in 2026, after he missed the beginning of the season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. The injury to Fry's elbow saw him play just 66 games during the 2025 campaign and prevented him from playing any defensive position that required him to throw.

Fry's season was derailed by injuries, but the Guardians are desparate for a reliable bat. Just last year, Fry was an MLB All-Star because of his production at the plate and versatility around the diamond.

Manager Stephen Vogt will certainly welcome him back next year.

In other injury news, Guardians relief pitcher Nic Enright is scheduled for Tommy John surgery.

For Enright, he will miss all of 2026, and depending on how recovery goes potentially part of the 2027 season following Tommy John surgery.

It is a heartbreaking development for the 28-year-old right hander who pitched to a 2.03 ERA in 27 appearances for the Guards this year. Enright's route to the majors includes battling lymphoma and was truly one of the feel good stories across baseball this season.

That aside, Enright appeared to be developing into a pretty reliable arm out of the bullpen down the stretch for Cleveland and they will need to look to replace him in 2026. 

According to reports, Enright felt soreness in his elbow in late August. However, it improved enough for him to continue to pitch. He will work out details with specialists over the coming weeks to determine a path forward.

The Guardians were also without pitchers Sam Hentges, Ben Lively and Andrew Walters throughout their playoff push this season. It's likely that Hentges can find his way back to the club at some point next season as he approaches recovery on knee and shoulder surgeries. Walters was dealing with a right lat surgery in June and the team is expecting him back in eight to 10 months.

The most worrying news in this report from Meisel however, is that there is no update on Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, who are currently serving suspensions for alleged gambling activities.

Ortiz has been suspended since July 3rd, and Clase since July 28th, although both appear to be training for winter ball in the LIDOM (the Dominican Republic's winter league). The longer the suspension goes on for both players, the more unlikely it becomes either will be rejoining the Major League club in 2026.