As things presently stand, the Cleveland Guardians are still in the hunt for a spot in the 2025 MLB playoffs with multiple paths to locking up a Wild Card spot depending on how they and the Detroit Tigers play over the weekend.
However, whether the Guardians clinch the playoffs or not, and regardless of who they draw in the postseason should they secure a spot, they will be without relief pitcher Sam Hentges, who has undergone arthroscopic right knee surgery and will miss the next three to four months.
Now, as Stebbins wrote, Hentges was already working on rehabbing his left shoulder following a separate surgery last September with a chance to return to the mound for the postseason a possibility based on his initial 12-14 month timeline. Now, however, that is effectively out of the window as Hentges won't be available until 2025 should he hit his initial rehab goals.
With a record of 86-74 and two games left to play, the Guardians have the same record as the Tigers but crucially hold the tiebreaker in the series, guaranteeing that if both teams win out, Cleveland will advance to the postseason. While it would be nice to have Hentges available to play, between Cade Smith, Jakob Junis, Hunter Gaddis and the rest of Stephen Vogt's bullpen, the Guardians should have enough pitching firepower to make waves in October when the lights get brighter.
