Hey, Hoynsie: What happened to Kyle Manzardo? — Jay Miller, Boston.

Hi Jay: As far as I know, nothing.

He’s coming off a bad July, but overall in 70 games with Columbus he has a .269 batting average (66-for-245) with 17 doubles, 17 home runs and 42 RBI. When the Guardians promoted him in early May, they used him almost exclusively as a DH. I think he had a hard time adjusting to that.

In Columbus, he played first base most of the time, which is his normal position, but it’s hard to get a chance when you’re playing behind Josh Naylor. I’ve heard that management is happy with the progress Naylor is making.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think Big Christmas, aka Jhonkensy Noel, could be a right-handed Big Papi? — Bill, Tennessee.

Hello, Bill: Well, he already has the great nickname. As for the rest of the package, the Guardians can only hope.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do Matthew Boyd and Alex Cobb have any influence over the guards trying to sign Shane Bieber? Could they sign Bieber before the end of the season while he’s still recovering from Tommy John surgery? Or will he be a free agent at the end of the year? — Neil H., Reedsville, Pennsylvania.

Hi Neil: I’m sure Boyd and Cobb will want to use their time in Cleveland to increase their value on the free agent market this winter, but I don’t think it will disrupt the Guardians’ plans – if they have any – for Bieber. I think both sides have an interest in getting a deal done, but the devil is in the details.

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Hey, Hoynsie: Is David Fry still an option for the catcher position? Or does the injury still prevent him from fulfilling this task? — Andy Mees, Sandusky.

Hello, Andy: Fry has caught just one game since injuring his right elbow on a throw from behind the plate against Toronto on June 23. Since then, he’s been limited to DH and first base. If manager Stephen Vogt is anything to go by, that’s likely to stay that way this season.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why not have Jose Ramirez bat first so he gets more batting appearances over the course of the season than if he batted third? — Scott Wyles, Berea.

Hi Scott: First, we have an All-Star hitter in Steven Kwan. Second, Ramirez is already second or third in the lineup, so he still gets a lot of opportunities to hit. Plus, he’s a run producer.

Last season, Ramirez played second or third in 156 games with 691 batting appearances. Kwan had 718 batting appearances and played leadoff in 158 games.

That’s a difference of 27 batting appearances. Last year, Kwan scored 93 runs with 54 RBI. Ramirez scored 80 runs and struck out 87. I think if they asked Ramirez to bat first, he would. But I don’t know if that’s the smartest thing to do at this stage of his career.

Hey, Hoynsie: What is the Guardians’ ERA and record when Austin Hedges is catching compared to the games in which he is not catching? –Bob Carter.

Hi, Bob: The Guardians’ pitchers are 20-16 with a 4.16 ERA when Hedges catches. They are 39-33 with a 3.78 ERA when Bo Naylor catches, and they are 13-1 with a 2.80 ERA when Fry catches.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why didn’t the Guardians sign Amed Rosario, who the Dodgers had projected as a player? If the Dodgers can’t use him, the Guardians can use him at shortstop. — Mary Ann McKee.

Hello, Mary Ann: I checked with the Guardians and they say they don’t have room for Rosario. I know he played well for Cleveland for 2 1/2 years, but his defense at shortstop dropped off in 2023. They seem to have settled on Brayan Rocchio at shortstop, with Daniel Schneemann and Tyler Freeman in reserve.

They also have Gabriel Arias in Columbus.

Hey, Hoynsie: How many at-bats do you think a player needs in the major leagues to show that he is a good hitter? — Alvaro, McAllen, Texas.

Hello, Alvaro: I spoke with hitting coach Chris Valaika. He wasn’t sure of the exact number, but said 500 at-bats in about a season is a good benchmark. He added that those at-bats don’t have to happen in one season, but can be spread out over two or three years, depending on how a player is used.

Valaika also said that after spring training, it typically takes a hitter 80 to 120 at-bats to get into the flow of major league play, adding that spring training statistics are often an illusion.