The Cleveland Guardians are placing Aaron Civale on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain, and as a corresponding move pitcher Peyton Battenfield has been called up to the team, according to Mandy Bell of MLB.com.
Aaron Civale has been in MLB since 2019, and he was supposed to be dependable starting pitcher for the Guardians this season. He was not viewed as someone who has the top end stuff like Shane Bieber or Triston McKenzie, but this is a blow to the depth of Cleveland's starting rotation.
The Guardians were already dealing with the loss of Triston McKenzie due to a right trees major muscle strain he suffered in Spring Training. His absence is likely to be lengthy. An oblique strain can take a while to recover from as well, so it will be worth monitoring Civale's recovery timeline.
Shane Bieber is pitching tonight against the New York Yankees, and he will have to carry the load from a starting pitching standpoint. Zach Plesac will need to contribute as well. The expected rotation coming into the season was Bieber, Triston McKenzie, Zach Plesac, Cal Quantril and Civale. Now the rotation will be Bieber, Please, Cal Quantril, Hunter Gaddis and Peyton Battenfield.
The Guardians came into the season as the favorite to win the American League Central. They have gotten off to a 6-4 start to the season. It will be interesting to track how the starting pitching performs in the absence of McKenzie and Civale for the foreseeable future. They will need to stay afloat for the time being until their starting pitching depth comes back.
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