A team can never have too much starting pitching.
Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt and predecessor Terry Francona have said it so many times, it could be the franchise’s mission statement.
And yet, the Guardians’ rotation is a mess going into the interleague series finale against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon.
Left-hander Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 7.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Dodgers, while Cleveland will be using a series of relievers that will include Kolby Allard and Matt Festa. Slade Cecconi was scratched due to groin tightness.
“We’re still working through it, but Kolby will be available for length,” Vogt said. “Slade is trending in the right direction, but just not in time to make the start.”
The Guardians will add a pitcher from Triple-A Columbus, but they don’t plan on announcing his identity until Vogt’s pregame press conference.
Rookie right-hander Nic Enright was spotted packing his bags Tuesday after Cleveland’s 9-5 loss, likely making him the subtraction for the call-up.
Los Angeles is seeking a three-game sweep.
“There have been a lot of things that have clicked and translated over to the field lately,” Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto said. “We’ve just got to show up again and do it the same way.”
Two weeks ago, the Guardians lost right-hander Ben Lively — their most durable starter since the start of 2024 — to a season-ending elbow injury, and back-of-the rotation arms Luis Ortiz and Logan Allen have a combined 4-8 record.
Former American League Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber will make his first post-Tommy John surgery rehab start Saturday in the Arizona Complex League, but he remains weeks away from a return to the majors.
“At the end of the day, we have talented pitchers and our coaches do a phenomenal job with them,” Vogt said. “But we’ve had stretches where it’s been really good and stretches where we take a little step back.”
Adding to Cleveland’s woes, the Dodgers beat ace Tanner Bibee and No. 2 starter Gavin Williams in the first two games of the series with superstar Shohei Ohtani belting two of their five home runs.
“I’m impressed and a little bit jealous of him, maybe,” Los Angeles third baseman Max Muncy said, chuckling. “He mis-hits a ball and it gets out. He’s really fun to watch.”
Ohtani has homered in three straight games, giving him a team-record 13 blasts in May and a major-league-best 20 this season. He didn’t hit his 20th during his unanimous 2024 National League MVP season until June 18.
“They really made me work, and (Ohtani) is a great hitter, a great baserunner who kind of does it all,” Bibee said. “He’s obviously a generational player and, I mean, it feels like he gets better and better every single year.”
Kershaw last pitched in Cleveland in a rain-abbreviated start in 2023 that lasted two-plus innings and saw him allow one run. He is 1-0 with a 3.79 ERA in four lifetime outings against Cleveland.
Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez is riding a career-high hitting streak of 20 games, the longest by a switch hitter in franchise history. He is batting .380 (30-for-79) with four homers and 11 RBIs during that span as the team has gone 9-11.
–Field Level Media
