Kolby Allard could be one of most important pitchers for Guardians in 2026 

Last year Guardians pitcher Kolby Allard ended up finishing the year with the 10th-most innings on the team despite not making his debut until the end of April and having to navigate a mid-season DFA.

And while he didn't make the Guardians' big league squad out of spring training again this season, it took all of one series for him to re-join Cleveland's roster.

On Monday, the Guardians officially added him to both their 40 and 26-man rosters. He took Doug Nihazy's spot on the 40-man roster and Colin Holderman's on the 26-man roster.

Although he didn't pitch in the Guardians' game against the Dodgers on Monday, he could see his first action of the year later tonight in place of the hampered Tanner Bibee.

And that apperance could kick off yet another fruitful summer that ends with Allard being one of the most important players on Cleveland's roster.

Kolby Allard has another chance to be a quality pitcher for the Guardians in 2026

It's hard to believe considering how last season went, but Allard had struggled immensly in his big league career prior to joining the Guardians.

A former first-round pick by the Atlanta Braves in 2015, Allard made his eventual big league debut three seasons later before the Braves traded him to the Rangers ahead of the 2019 season. That kicked off a wild six-year span where he posted a 5.80 ERA in 264 innings across stints with three different clubs.

He finished that time with a brief stay with the Phillies in 2024, which led to him signing a minor league contract with the Guardians.

They converted that to a major league contract in April and he finished the season with a 2.63 ERA in 65 innings.

The Guardians still decided to non-tender him after the season as opposed to paying him around $1 million via arbitration, but he re-signed with the Guardians on a minor league contract not long after.

While his fastball only sat at a shade above 90 miles per hour last season, he was able to get batters out thanks to his strong command (5.3% walk rate) and ability to limit hard contact (5.7% barrel rate).

He also pitched in a variety of roles ranging from being a one inning weapon to working as a longman and even getting the occasional spot start.

One of those starts came against the Dodgers at the end of may when allowed two runs over four innings with three strikeouts in an eventual Guardians win.

His season debut could come against that exact same team this year. The Guardians picked up a 4-2 win yesterday thanks in large part to Parker Messick going six strong innings, but it seems unfair to expect that of Bibee after he left his last start with right shoulder inflammation.

The Guardians have already benefited from the production they've gotten from some of the unheralded arms in their bullpen. Now it could be Allard's turn to toss his hat in the ring.