The Cleveland Guardians have the best record in baseball and topped the most recent MLB power rankings. While the team has won six of their last eight games, the Guardians’ starting pitchers have struggled with injuries.
Cleveland hopes to have turned a corner on its banged up rotation but the team's latest injury updates are a mixed bag with a key pitcher missing time and others approaching a return. The biggest news is that Guardians’ ace Tanner Bibee will miss his scheduled start on Saturday. The 25-year-old righty will be pushed back due to right shoulder tightness, per The Athletic’s Zack Meisel on X.
Bibee was one of the top rookies in baseball last season before a hip injury ended his year. Although he still finished second in Rookie of the Year voting. And Bibee has followed up his excellent 2023 campaign with another stellar year. He’s gone 9-4 with a 3.48 ERA, 1.093 WHIP and 132 strikeouts in 121.2 innings so far this season, producing 1.9 WAR in 22 starts for the Guardians.
Cleveland will send rookie Joey Cantillo to the mound in Bibee’s place to face the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, according to Meisel. Cantillo struggled in his major league debut against the Philadelphia Phillies last weekend giving up three earned runs in 3.1 innings.
The Guardians' newest starting pitcher Alex Cobb was acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline. However, Cobb has yet to make his 2024 debut. The 12-year veteran underwent surgery on his left hip in the offseason and was moved to the 60-day injured list in April after experiencing inflammation in his right shoulder while rehabbing.
The Guardians hope to get three injured starting pitchers back soon
Fortunately for Cleveland, Cobb appears to be close to a return. He’s set to make another rehab start on Saturday and it could be his last tuneup before he takes the mound for the Guardians, per Meisel.
Finally, the team updated starter Matthew Boyd’s injury. The former Detroit Tiger's season was cut short last year when he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery in June of 2023. Boyd signed a one-year deal with the Guardians but has yet to make his debut for the team as he continues to recover from the surgery.
However, Boyd will make another rehab start tonight, according to Meisel. The 32-year-old lefty has pitched well in the minors this season as he works his way back. The Guardians hope he can join the rotation in the next couple weeks.
The first-place Cleveland Guardians have a six-game lead over the Minnesota Twins and the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central. While the team’s bullpen has been the best in baseball, leading the majors in ERA, WHIP, batting average against, WPA and fWar, the Guardians’ starters have not fared as well.
Cleveland’s starting pitchers rank 24th or worst in ERA (4.51), quality starts, WHIP (1.33), WPA (-1.44) and fWAR (3.5). The Guardians hope getting injured starters back on the mound will take some pressure off the overworked bullpen and bolster the team’s momentum.
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