3 Guardians who need to step up after Luis Ortiz’s suspension

Just in case things weren’t bad enough for the Guardians, one of the few bright spots of their season turned into a nightmare on Thursday when MLB announced that starting pitcher Luis Ortiz was placed on leave due to a MLB betting investigation.

The suspension has plenty of repercussions for the Guardians. Not only did they lose an offseason acquisition who was quickly becoming an important piece of the rotation, but they also now have to dip into some depth at one of the few positions that’s been a strength for them so far this year. 

Here are three Guardians who have become even more important in the wake of Ortiz’s suspension.

3 Guardians who need to step up after Luis Ortiz’s suspension

LHP Joey Cantillo 

Cantillo got the first shot to fill Ortiz’s void in the rotation on Thursday and passed his first test by tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings in his first MLB start since last September. Cantillo opened the year in Cleveland’s bullpen and was sent down to the minors to get stretched out as a starter, but that plan never really got going after he missed two weeks in the middle of June with an arm injury. 

He managed to make three starts at the end of the month and never went more than 3 1/3 innings. He was able to give the Guardians that kind of production on a moment’s notice on Thursday, which is a positive sign. 

Cantillo’s fastball velocity is down this year (it averaged 89.7 miles per hour on Thursday) but his changeup is still nasty even if he doesn’t have the same kind of velocity as last year. Ortiz’s status will be up in the air until the All-Star break (at least), so he should get at least one more chance to show what he can do in Cleveland’s rotation.

LHP Doug Nikhazy 

Nikhazy was also called up as a part of the team’s roster moves to respond to Ortiz’s suspension, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Guardians elect to use him. 

His lone MLB appearance came earlier this year as the 27th man in a doubleheader against the Red Sox, where he allowed six earned runs in three innings. He tallied three strikeouts but also allowed six walks. 

He’s looked better for Columbus this year, as he posted a 2.89 ERA in June and is coming off a start where he allowed just one run in 6 2/3 innings against Iowa. 

While his fastball maxes out at just 95 mph, he has a wipeout slider along with a plus changeup and so-so curveball. Nikhazy’s promotion to the roster came at the expense of Kolby Allard, so Nikazy seems like a natural fit to fill the lefty longman role. If so, it’ll be worth watching to see if his stuff goes up a tick.

LHP Logan Allen 

When Cantillo was sent down to Triple-A earlier this year, it seemed like the Guardians were preparing themselves for the inevitable with Allen, who ended April with a 4.21 ERA after allowing seven runs in 4 1/3 innings against the Red Sox. He’s largely been the same pitcher since, though he has looked a bit better since manager Stephen Vogt moved him to the bullpen for a week at the end of May. 

Ortiz’s suspension will likely give Allen a bit more time in Cleveland’s rotation, though they’ll now have a ready-made replacement for Allen in NIkhazy. He’s in the 88th percentile in hard-hit rate but the ninth percentile in whiff rate, which showcases the limitations of his pitch-to-contact arsenal.