Guardians left-hander Sam Hentges is set to undergo shoulder surgery next week, the team announced. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will repair both the labrum and capsule in Hentges’ left shoulder, with a recovery timeline of 12 to 14 months. This procedure will likely sideline Hentges for the remainder of the 2024 season and possibly all of 2025. Hentges has been out since July 10, initially diagnosed with shoulder inflammation.
This is a tough blow for both the Guardians and the 28-year-old Hentges. After a difficult rookie season as a starter in 2021, Hentges has excelled as a reliever over the past three seasons. Since 2022, he has posted a strong 2.93 ERA, with a 27.7% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate, 58.1% ground-ball rate, and just 0.52 home runs allowed per nine innings. Advanced metrics like FIP (2.66) and SIERA (2.93) suggest he may have been even better than his ERA reflects.
Hentges’ success as a reliever earned him greater responsibility in high-leverage situations. Both former manager Terry Francona and current skipper Stephen Vogt have relied on Hentges in critical setup roles for closer Emmanuel Clase. Over the past three years, Hentges has recorded 32 holds and one save, with just one blown save in 34 opportunities.
This season, Hentges and the Guardians agreed to a one-year, $1.1625M deal in his first arbitration-eligible season as a Super Two player. He’s under team control through 2027 and is expected to receive a small raise next year after posting a 3.04 ERA over 23 2/3 innings with nine holds in 2024. Despite his expected absence in 2025, it’s likely the Guardians will offer him a contract, paying him around $3M combined for the 2025-26 seasons.
