Guardians’ bullpen is facing biggest test yet after injury to key lefty reliever

Erik Sabrowski has answered every call the Guardians have asked him to this season. While he entered 2026 with a 1.29 ERA in 41 career games, he still seemed like a bit of an unknown given his lengthy injury. 

But he’s spent the first part of the season becoming very much known thanks to a 1.71 ERA across 25 appearances this season while sliding into the set-up role vacated by Hunter Gaddis’ injury. 

That role will now likely head back to Gaddis, as the Guardians placed Sabrowski on the injured list on Monday with elbow inflammation. Codi Heuer was recalled as the corresponding move. 

Sabrowski’s injury could have a huge impact on Cleveland in both the micro and macro sense. Not only does losing him mean they’re going to be without one of the biggest names in their bullpen, but it should also set off alarm bells considering Sabrowski has already undergone two Tommy John surgeries in his career. 

Although those macro questions could be answered soon (manager Stephen Vogt said the Guardians should know more tomorrow), we’re going to immediately see the micro impact due to the fact Cleveland has a game to play today. 

The Guardians have done a good job navigating Gaddis’ injury along with some underperformance from some other arms in their bullpen, but Sabrowski’s injury is in a different category considering just how much he’s meant to the Guardians this year. 

Erik Sabrowski's injury puts even more pressure on the Guardians’ bullpen 

According to Vogt, Sabrowski’s injury first popped up on Wednesday after he tossed a scoreless inning against the Tigers. He was set to pitch on Sunday, but his arm health wasn’t where it needed to be. 

“With Erik’s history, the right thing to do is put him on the IL right now,” Vogt said pregame.

The top option to take Sabrowski’s eighth-inning spot is Gaddis, who was working in that spot prior to missing the start of the season with an arm injury of his own. He struggled at the start of the year, but has rattled off 6 1/3 straight scoreless innings and just picked up his first save of the season. 

But the biggest void could be in lefty-lefty matchups, as Sabrowski hitting the shelf means the only southpaws in Cleveland’s bullpen are Tim Herrin and the recently-recalled Logan Allen. 

Herrin started the season strong but has a 8.31 ERA across his last 4 1/3 innings, and Allen has yet to make his big league debut after starting the season in Triple-A. He was working exclusively as a starter in the minors but should fill a longman role. 

That lack of lefty options could mean that Shawn Armstrong and Colin Holderman could end up working in pockets they don’t normally work in as a bridge to get to Gaddis and closer Cade Smith. 

The Guardians’ bullpen has posted an MLB-leading 2.48 ERA in 34 games since April 18, but all of that came with Sabrowski in the fold. Now they’re going to have to adjust to a “new normal” without him.

How they handle that new normal could determine how the rest of the season goes.

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