Doug Nikhazy gets the call to the majors, and more.

The Cleveland Guardians announced on Thursday evening that they are calling up LHP prospect Doug Nikhazy from Triple-A Columbus ahead of the Red Sox series. Nikhazy comes in as the 21st-ranked prospect in the Guardians organization, according to MLB.com.

The 25-year-old lefty is in his 4th season with the club after being drafted by Cleveland back in 2021 as a 2nd-round pick at 58 overall. Original reports pointed towards the Guardians making the call in hopes of using Nikhazy out of the bullpen. But after Friday night's rainout, the newly scheduled doubleheader for Saturday changed some things.

The Guardians are still rolling with Ben Lively in Game 1 of the series, which starts at 1:10. But for Game 2 of the doubleheader, which starts at 6:10, the team is giving the starting nod to Nikhazy, who will be making his first career appearance in MLB.

This may come as a surprise to some, but it makes perfect sense for Nikhazy to get a chance to start and see what he has on a doubleheader day. This also gives the rest of the Guardians rotation an extra day of rest, as Logan Allen was originally slated to go on Saturday night.

In four games so far in 2025, Nikhazy recorded a 3.44 ERA, with all four appearances coming as a starter. The four starts consisted of 18.1 innings pitched, 16 hits, 2 home runs, 7 walks, and 22 strikeouts. On top of a solid start to 2025, the rise of Nikhazy came thanks to a hot 2024 season in which he finished with a 2.98 ERA. He spent time with both Akron and Columbus, and his numbers got even better once he arrived at Triple-A.

The excitement even continued into the Spring even, where Nikhazy showed up with a 3-inning, 1 hit, 6 strikeout performance over the Arizona Diamondbacks, putting his full potential on display with big league camp. Whether you may think he is going to be a long-term piece for the Guardians or not, it is great to see the 25-year-old finally getting his chance in the majors after proving himself throughout the minors.