Guardians expected to add Carlos Hernández to 40-man roster ahead of September call-ups

The Cleveland Guardians are expected to make another September roster move, with multiple reports indicating the team will select right-hander Carlos Hernández to the major league roster. The anticipated transaction, described as a September promotion, matters because it uses one of the club’s available roster spots as Cleveland continues to finalize its late-season look at players with postseason and postseason-adjacent roster needs in mind.

The roster opening that Cleveland is expected to address traces back to the start of August, when the Guardians designated utilityman Gabriel Arias for assignment. MLB Trade Rumors reports that this move left Cleveland with an opening on the 40-man roster, setting up the possibility of a selection once the organization decided on the timing and the corresponding corresponding spot(s) in the bullpen and position player mix.

Hernández’s expected selection comes after a notable interruption to his path back to the majors. MLB Trade Rumors’ report frames the call-up as Hernández returning to MLB “months after a car wreck,” positioning the decision as both a roster-management step and a developmental opportunity for a pitcher the organization is preparing to evaluate at the top level again.

In the same reporting, Cleveland’s projected roster construction is tied to another transaction. MLB Trade Rumors also reports that utilityman Daniel Schneemann is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Columbus. If both moves proceed as described, it would suggest Cleveland is balancing the addition of a returning pitcher with an accompanying bench-or-utility role player, a common September approach for teams that want flexibility across late-season series and potential playoff-adjacent matchups.

Cleveland’s September maneuvering also reflects the broader reality of MLB rosters this time of year. Teams can expand beyond the standard regular-season framework, but they still must make decisions that preserve options, manage innings and matchups, and ensure the roster includes players who can cover multiple roles. Moving Hernández onto the 40-man while also bringing up Schneemann would give the Guardians options to configure their pitching usage and game-day lineup around late-season needs.

There is also an important clarification for readers: the reporting describes what the Guardians are “expected” to do, not an official transaction already confirmed by the team at the time of publication of the report. In MLB, selection and recall timing can hinge on paperwork and roster mechanics, so confirmation from official team and league channels is the final step before the move is treated as complete.

What to watch next is straightforward. First, whether Cleveland formally selects Carlos Hernández to the major league roster and whether the roster spot is used exactly as described. Second, how the Guardians deploy the new pieces once they join the active group, including how quickly Cleveland turns the pitching call into actual game usage and how Schneemann is used in the late-season lineup rotation. Together, those answers will show how much Cleveland views Hernández as an immediate contributor versus a longer evaluation plan as the season turns toward October.