The Guardians have placed right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco on the 15-day injured list due to a left hip strain and have optioned infielder/outfielder Angel Martinez to Triple-A Columbus, according to a team announcement. To fill their spots, Cleveland has recalled outfielder Will Brennan and reliever Peter Strzelecki from Columbus. Additionally, left-hander Joey Cantillo has been called up as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Twins.
Cantillo is set to start Game 1 of the doubleheader. Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports that Alex Cobb, acquired from the Giants at the trade deadline, will start Game 2 for Cleveland. As Cobb is on the 60-day injured list, a corresponding 40-man roster move will be required between the two games.
This is Carrasco’s second stint on the injured list this season. He began the year on the 15-day IL due to neck spasms. After signing a minor league deal to return to Cleveland over the winter and making the rotation in spring training, Carrasco is currently second on the team in games started, only behind Tanner Bibee.
Despite being a regular in Cleveland’s rotation, Carrasco’s performance has declined from his peak years. At 37, he has pitched 103 2/3 innings with a 5.64 ERA. His strikeout rate of 19.9% is below average, though his walk rate of 7.4% is better than average. Carrasco is experiencing a career-low average fastball velocity of 91.8 mph and is highly susceptible to home runs, allowing 1.65 home runs per nine innings. He has struggled recently, giving up 17 runs (including five home runs) in his last 17 2/3 innings.
Carrasco’s IL stint puts additional pressure on the Guardians’ pitching depth, which has already been tested by the loss of Shane Bieber for the season due to Tommy John surgery and the struggles of young pitchers Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie, who have been sent to Columbus. The team acquired Cobb before the deadline and signed veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd, who is nearing the end of his rehab from Tommy John surgery. Cobb is making his debut tonight, and Boyd is expected to join him soon.
Cleveland’s rotation down the stretch could include Bibee, Cobb, Boyd, Gavin Williams, and Ben Lively. While this group has potential, the effectiveness of Cobb following hip surgery and Boyd following last season’s surgery remains uncertain. Although the rotation may not be as dominant as in previous years, the Guardians have one of the best bullpens in baseball, which can help mitigate some of the rotation’s uncertainty.
Cantillo will be making his third major league start today. He has given up six runs in 7 1/3 innings so far and faces a tough matchup against a Twins team that excels against left-handed pitchers. A former third-round pick, Cantillo has been considered one of Cleveland’s more promising young pitchers since being acquired from the Padres in the 2020 Mike Clevinger trade. Despite some command issues in the upper minors and a significant injury this season, Cantillo has a 4.21 ERA and a 27.1% strikeout rate in 124 career Triple-A innings, though his 13.4% walk rate will need improvement for sustained major league success.
