2026 kicked off with a bang for the Cleveland Guardians. Or should we say, a splash?
Thanks to the Guardians’ recent $200 million clubhouse renovation and SwimEx — a fiberglass therapy and training pool manufacturer — the Ohio-based team now has an expanded hydrotherapy room for all of their preparation, recovery and rehabilitation needs. One of the largest upgrades includes the switch from a SwimEx 600 T to a SwimEx 1000 T therapy pool, as well as adding dedicated hot and cold plunges.
During the regular season, the new hydrotherapy room will be ready to provide both recovery and active strengthening work to about 85% of the Guardians’ roster, the official press release from SwimEx notes. From decompression, restoration and concentric and eccentric work, to underwater running, agility and contrast work, the new and improved Guardians’ clubhouse is nothing short of incredible. And what’s more — now that the hydrotherapy room is double the size of its previous footprint, the team staff can avoid bottlenecks during even the busiest parts of the season.
“Hydrotherapy is one of the busiest rooms in our facility, so we needed a setup we could count on every day of a 162-game season,” explains Lonnie Soloff, senior vice president of medical services for the Cleveland Guardians. “With the renovated hydrotherapy space and SwimEx, we’ve moved from using the pool mainly for recovery to integrating it into day-to-day preparation and rehab.”
The room itself can reportedly accommodate between eight and 14 players at a time, providing space for six in the hot plunge and four to five in the cold plunge. Even the layout of the room was renovated with a specific purpose, to accommodate how players and staff move through the clubhouse. On game days, SwimEx says, players can be in the water within minutes of leaving the showers, which “keeps rotations moving smoothly.”
“From the start, our focus was on helping the Guardians’ staff get a hydrotherapy room that behaves like dependable infrastructure — easy to run day in and day out,” says Suzanne Vaughan, president and owner of SwimEx. “That means planning around their space and daily flow, and then standing behind the room with straightforward guidance and responsive service so they can stay focused on athletes rather than equipment.”
The project team approached the installation of the new therapy pools with care and precision, paired with an authorized SwimEx installer, who assisted and trained staff on operation, water chemistry and routine maintenance.
Fully equipped with a masterful hydrotherapy room, the Cleveland Guardians are making a splash in regards to wellness among the team. Will that splash include winning the World Series? Only time will tell.
This article first appeared in the April 2026 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
