The Cleveland Guardians have yet to endure double-digit losses at home. A big part of that is because Stephen Vogt has been inclined to make tough decisions that turn out well for the AL Central-leading squad. Yet again, they pulled off a move to boost their pitching woes after going six for 10 in their latest matchups with games against the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals. What was the new shakeup? It involved Triston McKenzie and Gavin Williams before they faced the slumping Chicago White Sox.

Another tough Stephen Vogt decision

Triston McKenzie is heading to the minors after a rough stint with the Guardians so far this season, per ESPN. He got optioned to Colombus in the Triple-A and will start to prove himself there. While he was never an All-Star, it can be noted how well of a dependable ace he was for the Guardians earlier in his career. But, their series against the Royals changed all of that.

McKenzie was only able to pitch for 2 1/3 innings during the Royals clash. When they needed him most, he also continued to vanish for the Guardians. To put it into perspective, he has not pitched past the third inning which made his performance in the eyes of Stephen Vogt not that serviceable. Another big reason why this move to Columbus could have been done was because that loss to the Royals was demoralizing. The Guardians lost with a 10-3 scoreline.

Overall, his performance just has not been great for the Guardians. None of his numbers were eye-popping like they used to be. Throughout 16 starts for Vogt, he could only notch a 5.11 ERA while also going 3-5. What made it worse was his pitching woes had gotten so bad that he gave up 19 home runs throughout 75 2/3 innings. McKenzie has a lot of work to do in Columbus but there's no doubt that he can bounce back.

Who are the Guardians using instead of Triston McKenzie?

Jun 28, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie (24) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
© Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Stephen Vogt is now ready to use Gavin Williams. The Guardians have activated him from the IL after his unfortunate injury during training camp. Williams has not seen any action this season at all which is why he will be on a pitch count. Vogt and the Guardians might need his help because they are activating him after only seven appearances in the minor league.

Williams was fairly serviceable before he broke his elbow. As a rookie in 2023, he was able to notch a 3.29 ERA while going 3-5 throughout 16 clashes. An uptick in his performance will definitely help. This is because Matthew Cook will also take a while to fully recover from his Tommy John surgery.

After this 6-2 loss against the Royals, the Guardians might need Gavin Williams for their White Sox series. Hopefully, he blazes them up and helps him get the momentum they need to finish off the season strong. The Guardians have quite the separation in the AL Central after forcing the second-ranked Minnesota Twins to be 6.5 games back. That cushion could grow larger if Williams and Cook do well.