Guardians News: Dom Núñez optioned, Joey Cantillo concerns, Erik Sabrowki progressing

While the Guardians were off today after flying across the country on Wednesday ahead of their west coast series, they still made a roster move by optioning catcher Dom Núñez to Triple-A Columbus in a move that clears the way for Austin Hedges to return from the 7-day concussion injured list. 

Núñez went 2-for-7 in two MLB games with the Guardians, and interestingly enough, was just optioned to Triple-A instead of being designated for assignment. Núñez wasn’t on the 40-man roster prior to Hedges' injury (they transferred Andrew Walters to the 60-day injured list to free up a roster spot for him), but the team elected to keep him on the 40-man as DFAing him and exposing him to waivers. 

While that makes it easier for the team to call him up to MLB if Hedges or Bo Naylor suffer an injury, he also stands out as a DFA candidate if the team ever needs to free up a roster spot later in the season.

Guardians News: Dom Núñez optioned, Joey Cantillo concerns, Erik Sabrowki progressing

Elsewhere, the Guardians announced on Wednesday that Joey Cantillo felt some shoulder soreness in a bullpen over the weekend with Triple-A Columbus.

While a pitcher feeling any kind of arm soreness should send up alarm bells, the Guardians seem to have dodged a bullet, as Cantillo is in line to return to Columbus’ rotation this weekend. 

Cantillo started the season in the bullpen before the Guardians sent him down to Triple-A to get stretched out as a starter. He threw three innings in his lone appearance in Columbus before having his next start skipped due to that aforementioned soreness. 

Cantillo posted a 2.35 ERA across the first month of the year and picked up his first career save in an extra innings win over the Pirates, but he had a 5.54 ERA in May, though that number is a bit inflated thanks to him allowing five runs in 1 1/3 innings against the Phillies. 

The left-handed Cantillo is still an interesting option in the Guardians’ rotation, and it’ll be worth watching how he bounces back after avoiding what could have been a serious injury. 

Lastly, the Guardians bullpen seems poised to get a big arm back in the form of Erik Sabrowksi. 

The left-handed Sabrowski made his MLB debut last year and tossed 12 2/3 scoreless regular season innings for the Guardians in September before working 5 1/3 innings in the postseason.

Sabrowski made two appearances in the Arizona Complex League before moving to Double-A Akron for one appearance. He’s currently in Columbus, and allowed one run in one inning on Tuesday. 

Sabrowski displayed electric stuff in his late-season cameo with the Guardians last year, and would be a huge weapon to a Guardians bullpen that recently lost Andrew Walters for the entire year due to a lat strain.