Hunter Gaddis has helped Guardians manage injury to crucial bullpen arm 

On May 25, the Guardians placed set up man Erik Sabrowski went on the injured list with elbow inflammation that will keep him out for the foreseeable future. 

Not only did the injury stop Sabrowski’s breakout season in its tracks (1.71 ERA in 21 innings), but it also created a huge void in the back of the Guardians’ bullpen. 

It didn’t take long for Hunter Gaddis to fill that void. 

While Gaddis’ 2026 campaign got off to a rough start after he missed the start of the season with a forearm injury, he’s rattled off seven straight scoreless outings (6 1/3 innings) and is starting to look like the bullpen weapon Guardians fans have gotten used to seeing over the past couple seasons. 

Hunter Gaddis is back to being dominant for the Guardians

Not only has Gaddis’ return to form been a huge boost for him, but it’s also been a big win for the Guardians’ bullpen as a whole. 

As mentioned above, Gaddis got off to a late start this season due to that forearm injury and then clearly looked hampered when he got on the field (9.00 ERA in his first seven innings). 

But something’s clicked as of late, and he’s looked far more like the version of Gaddis that became a bullpen staple for the Guardians. 

In Gaddis’ recent seven inning stretch, he’s allowed just four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Not eye-popping numbers by any stretch, but still good production considering where he started. 

That strong run of play has reverted his whiff rate back to where it’s been in years prior (33.6%), though he still is getting hitters to chase on just 25% of their swings. 

The good news for him is that the Guardians don’t need him to be a huge swing and miss guy given the emergence of Colin Holderman, who has become much more of a strikeout pitcher compared to Gaddis.  

That lack of swing and miss stuff clearly hasn’t impacted his standing in Stephen Vogt’s trust tree, as he’s picked up a hold in four of his last six appearances (he recorded a win and a save in the other two, respectively). 

Even though the Guardians have gotten strong contributions from some unheralded relievers in their bullpen, Gaddis is still an incredibly important piece, which is what made his early season struggles so alarming. 

It seemed pretty obvious that he wasn’t going to be at full strength at the start of the year given how tricky arm injuries can be, but he put those concerns behind him with his recent run of play. 

The biggest thing to watch is going to be whether he can maintain it for the rest of the season. He appeared in 151 games across the 2024 and ‘25 seasons (the second-most appearances in MLB in that span), so starting the season on the IL seemed like a bit of a blessing in disguise since it gave him a chance to get off his feet. 

While the initial returns from that rest didn’t look great, he’s back to being dominant and the Guardians’ bullpen is in a better place because of it.

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