Steven Kwan Back and Unfazed as Neck Trouble Fails to Slow Him Down in Sunday Outing

Kwan was unfortunately a late scratch from Saturday’s lineup for the Cleveland Guardians in a road matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays. The team ruled it due to neck stiffness.

Apr 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Steven Kwan (38) catches a ball hit by Kansas City Royals right fielder Starling Marte (not pictured) during the ninth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Although the Cleveland Guardians weren't able to take down the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, it was a positive sign to see four-time Golden Glove winner Steven Kwan back and healthy.

On Saturday, April 15, Kwan missed his second-straight game for the first time in the 2026 MLB regular season. Initially, he was in the lineup, but just a few hours before the game was set to begin he was pulled and listed as out.

It was then confirmed that Kwan was dealing with neck stiffness.

Following the announcement that he would be out of Saturday's lineup, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said that the team wanted to play it safe.

“That was an off-day yesterday,” Vogt said Saturday afternoon. “Obviously, we put him in the game late and he was fine. Neck stiffness. It's a caution with the turf, everything else.”

After playing it safe Saturday, the Guardians decided to pop him right back into the lineup on Sunday, April 26, for the rubber match against the Blue Jays. With the series level, 1-1, the team needed him to help them try to pull off the series win.

Unfortunately, even though he looked solid in the field and was able to get a base knock, the Guardians fell, 4-2.

However, Kwan playing on Sunday and performing at least at a decent level was a good sign that his neck discomfort doesn't seem to be a long-term concern.

Guardian's Steven Kwan will look to break the team's two-game losing streak against the Kansas City Royals | Jason Miller/Getty Images

His Questionable Campaign

On the 2026 season, he has struggled from time to time at the plate, en route to a slashing line of .225/.310/.284 for an OPS of .594. He currently has 23 hits, three doubles and one home run, with his hit total being the third most on the team.

He is hitting the ball at a decent rate, but the power behind his swing has seemingly gotten weaker by the game. With a slugging mark below .300, he has the third-worst clip on the team, behind the likes of Juan Brito and Bo Naylor.

Fortunately, even with his hitting being rocky and his neck issue holding him out on Saturday, for much of the campaign and into Sunday, his fielding has remained one of the most reliable parts of his game.

Across 172 innings in center field and 48.1 innings in left field, Kwan has made just one error, all while posting two assists and one double-play turned. His fielding percentage comes in at 97.8%.

If he can just start to get more consistent at the plate, getting on base roughly two to three times a game, the power argument will begin to die down. However, until then, there is a case to be made that the Guardians' coaching staff may have to consider potentially giving more time to Angel Martinez or George Valera.