The Guardians introduced that right-hander Alex Cobb has been positioned on the 15-day injured listing attributable to a fractured nail on his proper hand. Left-hander Anthony Gose was chosen to take his roster spot. Lefty Sam Hentges was transferred to the 60-day IL to be able to open a 40-man spot for Gose.
Cobb, 36, has dealt along with his share of challenges over the previous yr. Whereas with the Giants final season, he completed the marketing campaign on the IL attributable to left hip irritation. He underwent surgical procedure on that hip in October, which was going to place him on the shelf to start out 2024, but it surely was hoped that he could possibly be again a while in Might. The Giants appeared to have some perception in that timeline, as they picked up a $10MM membership possibility for this yr.
As he was ramping issues up in March, it appeared he had an opportunity to beat that projection and are available again sooner than anticipated, however then he hit some snags. Proper shoulder irritation delayed his return and he was transferred to the 60-day IL in mid-April. Even at that time, it was nonetheless hoped {that a} late Might return was doable, however his throwing program was shut down in the midst of Might attributable to discomfort in that shoulder.
He was capable of get again on the mound and begin a rehab task on June 30 however was traded to the Guardians a month later, simply forward of the deadline. The Giants had strengthened their rotation by welcoming Robbie Ray and Blake Snell off the IL, whereas getting encouraging outcomes from rookies Kyle Harrison and Hayden Birdsong.
The Guardians, in the meantime, had far much less stability of their rotation. Shane Bieber required Tommy John surgical procedure in April and is completed for the yr. Gavin Williams missed the primary half of the season attributable to proper elbow irritation and has posted a 5.02 earned run common since being activated. Guys like Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen and Carlos Carrasco have additionally posted ERAs north of 5.00 this yr. Carrasco is now on the IL with a strained hip whereas McKenzie and Allen have been optioned.
Getting a veteran like Cobb was subsequently a smart transfer however he’s now again on the IL after simply two begins. The membership hasn’t but offered any details about what sort of absence they count on but it surely’s lower than ultimate regardless. Even when the finger concern is comparatively minor and clears up in a couple of weeks, it’s one more hurdle that can make it difficult for Cobb to get right into a groove after so many stops and begins this yr.
The Guardians have been in first place for a big chunk of the season however the standings have tightened up on them currently. They’re now simply two video games up on the Twins and simply three up on the Royals within the Central. Groups just like the Purple Sox and Mariners aren’t far behind, so it’s doable the Guards discover themselves in a good battle for a playoff spot within the coming weeks.
For now, they should attempt to keep afloat with a rotation that also has a lot of uncertainty aside from Tanner Bibee. They not too long ago welcome Matthew Boyd again from a prolonged Tommy John absence and he appeared good in his first begin of the yr, but it surely’s his fourth straight season of lacking time attributable to a critical harm, so it’s anybody’s guess what he can present within the coming weeks and months. Ben Energetic has a 3.68 ERA on the yr however with a .255 batting common on balls in play and 83.6% strand fee. His 4.90 FIP and 4.51 SIERA are much less optimistic. As talked about, Williams has an ERA over 5.00 this yr.
The Guardians are off right now however then play ten video games in 9 days beginning tomorrow, because of a double-header towards the Royals subsequent Monday. With Cobb now out of the image for the following short while, they should attain into their depth to fill out the rotation alongside Bibee, Boyd, Energetic and Williams. Neither McKenzie nor Allen have been particularly robust within the minors this yr. Joey Cantillo has a 2.97 ERA in Triple-A however had a 6.23 ERA in his three main league begins earlier this season.
Within the meantime, they’ve added one other arm to their bullpen by deciding on Gose. The lefty was simply outrighted off the roster every week in the past however accepted an task to Triple-A Columbus. The previous outfielder has strikeout stuff on the mound but in addition notable management points. In 39 Triple-A innings this yr, he has a 3.46 ERA and 32.9% strikeout fee however he has additionally walked 15% of batters that got here to the plate.
He missed the 2023 season whereas recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure and the Guards known as him up earlier this month, however he was squeezed off the roster a couple of days later when Cobb was reinstated from the IL. Now that Cobb is again on the shelf, Gose has his roster spot again. Nevertheless, Gose is out of choices and will doubtlessly be nudged off but once more within the coming days as Cleveland might want to determine their rotation plans.
Hentges has been on the 15-day IL since July 11 attributable to left shoulder irritation. He’s now ineligible to be activated till 60 days from that date, which might be the second week of September. He began a rehab task in early July however hasn’t pitched since August 7. A number of days after that, Zack Meisel of The Athletic relayed on X that Hentges was slated for extra testing. His present standing isn’t publicly recognized however the Guardians apparently don’t count on him to have the ability to return within the subsequent few weeks.
