The Guardians' bullpen faced a setback when Hunter Gaddis hit the injured list with a right forearm strain. While Gaddis is expected to return soon, his absence is certainly felt in Cleveland's relief corps.
Stepping into the spotlight is Erik Sabrowski. After a solid performance last season at the back end of the bullpen, Sabrowski is off to a strong start this year. He's already logged 3 1/3 scoreless innings as a setup man for closer Cade Smith.
His latest impressive outing came last night, delivering 1 1/3 scoreless innings to help the Guardians secure a win over the reigning champion Dodgers.
Sabrowski's performance has been nothing short of dominant this season. However, this doesn’t mean Gaddis will lose his high-leverage role upon returning. Instead, manager Stephen Vogt now has the flexibility to use Sabrowski and Gaddis interchangeably in crucial moments, providing a strategic advantage.
Sabrowski made his MLB debut late in the 2024 season and quickly became a key player, especially after Emmanuel Clase went on leave. Despite limited big league experience, he posted a remarkable 1.84 ERA in 29 1/3 innings.
His stats were stellar, with a .156 expected batting average, a 34.7% strikeout rate, and a 38.1% whiff rate-figures that would rank among the best if he had enough innings to qualify.
This season, Sabrowski continues to shine. In his first outing, he pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out key batters like Brendan Donovan, Cal Raleigh, and Julio Rodríguez. Last night, he came in with two outs in the seventh, striking out Max Muncy and then retiring Shohei Ohtani in a perfect eighth inning.
With Sabrowski's strong start, the Guardians' bullpen depth looks promising, providing Vogt with even more options when Gaddis makes his comeback.