Daniel Espino’s first big league start gave the Guardians something to think about, and Joey Cantillo’s latest outing only complicated the picture further.
After Saturday’s win over the Twins, Cleveland has at least one more live question on its hands: how exactly will it use those two arms the next time Cantillo is due to pitch? Will Espino keep opening games for him, or will Cantillo slide back into a traditional starting role while Espino heads back to the bullpen?
“That’s up to the powers that be,” said Cantillo.
One of those powers, manager Stephen Vogt, said Cantillo will pitch the next time it’s his turn - Friday or Saturday against the A’s - but Vogt wouldn’t commit to whether that would come as a starter or a reliever.
“First, we need to get through these next three games,” said Vogt.
For now, the Guardians are trying to keep their focus on the larger picture. They opened a three-game series against the White Sox on Monday night at Progressive Field, sitting just one-half game behind Chicago in the AL Central with 12 games left. The White Sox lead the season series, 6-4, and if they win one of the final three meetings, they’ll secure the tiebreaker and the division title in the event of a tie.
Saturday still offered Cleveland a promising look at two young pitchers. Espino, making his first big league start, worked two scoreless innings, allowed one hit and struck out two. Cantillo then picked up the slack after Franco Aleman ran into trouble in the third, escaping a bases-loaded jam by retiring Austin Martin and then rolling through four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts.
The Guardians may have left with more than just a loss in that game if not for that rough third inning from Aleman, another rookie. Instead, they dropped a 4-3 decision. But Espino and Cantillo both left a strong impression.
“I’m healthy and that’s what makes it fun,” said Espino, after the game. “I’m very happy with the way my body is feeling. I think that’s the best thing right now.”
Espino, Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2018, was held to five appearances from 2022 through 2025 because of injuries. Before those setbacks, he was a starter in the minors, and the Guardians say they’re still open to multiple paths for him going forward.
Austin Hedges, who caught Espino on Saturday, believes the right-hander has a long runway ahead if he can stay on the mound.
“If he stays healthy, he’s going to pitch in this league a long time,” said Austin Hedges.
Asked whether he prefers Espino as a starter or a reliever, Hedges didn’t hide his lean.
“Given his history I’m not sure I’d do that to him (start him). He can be a closer and make a lot of money doing that.
It’s just so awesome to have him here after what he’s been through. I don’t know how many human beings could do that.”
Cantillo, meanwhile, said he got a simple piece of advice from Gavin Williams before facing the Twins after his control had been slipping.
“Gavin said just throw fastballs down the middle of the plate,” said Cantillo. “That’s exactly what I tried to do. Just wanted to fill up the heart of the strike zone, especially with the heater.
“Everything else was just about competing.”
The left-hander is now 9-9 with a 3.89 ERA, and he has already set career highs in starts and innings, with 30 starts and 148 innings.
Cleveland also enters this stretch with some momentum. After Sunday’s 9-2 win over the Twins, the Guardians had trimmed Chicago’s division lead from six games on Aug. 16 to just one-half game.
“This is really exciting. It’s what September baseball is all about,” said second baseman Travis Bazzana. “To go into this series against a division rival with first place at stake is going to be the best part of the season to this point for sure.”
Bazzana has been one of the hotter bats in the lineup this month, hitting .387 with 12 hits in 31 at-bats, plus two doubles, three homers and 12 RBI.
There were also a few injury notes to track. Right-hander Colin Holderman, dealing with a right wrist issue, threw a “touch and feel” bullpen session over the weekend and was scheduled to follow that with a regular bullpen before Monday night’s game. Holderman said, “Things are going well.”
Right-hander Shawn Armstrong, out with a left calf injury, is set for his second rehab appearance with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday. And first baseman-DH Rhys Hoskins is working through a return to hitting and throwing.
The bullpen, meanwhile, has been one of Cleveland’s strongest September weapons. The group owns a 2.24 ERA in the month, allowing 14 earned runs in 56 1/3 innings, which ranks second in the majors behind Toronto’s 2.10.
And Steven Kwan keeps reaching base. He has done it in 60 of his last 69 games while batting .346 with 89 hits in 257 at-bats, along with 17 extra-base hits, 43 runs and an .863 OPS.
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Guardians Face One Offseason Rotation Decision Fans Will Debate
Cleveland has spent this season leaning on a rotation that has stayed remarkably steady, with young arms like Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Joey Cantillo and Tanner Bibee giving the club a clear base to work from. Even as the Guardians have built around that group, the offseason conversation is already starting to circle one familiar name: Shane Bieber, who is now a free agent after injury struggles and limited starts with the Toronto Blue Jays.
A return to Cleveland would carry obvious appeal on paper, especially for a pitcher who once helped define the staff, but the expectation around the league is that the Guardians will largely keep the current rotation intact going into next season. Foster Griffins status adds another layer to watch, though the bigger question for fans is whether the organization sees any reason to reopen a spot for Bieber or simply move ahead with the young core it has already put in place. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Unlocked More In Craig Yoho Than Milwaukee Did
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A big part of the jump appears to be an adjusted pitching approach, especially a heavier dose of his changeup. For a bullpen that always values usable weapons it can trust in the middle innings, Yohos growth is the kind of quiet development that can matter over a long season, even if the full payoff of this version of him is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Which Guardians Hitter Fans Trust Most In Walk Off Spots
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The ranking of current Guardians hitters starts with the players fans have already seen handle pressure, then works through the bats most likely to be involved when the game is on the line. Some names bring a history of coming through in walk-off situations, while others earn trust because theyre the ones most likely to be in those moments regardless of matchup. In a season built around so many one-run decisions, the order of confidence in that spot says as much about the clubs identity as any single late hit. [Read more 🡒]