It is not time to panic about the Cleveland Guardians... yet

It is somewhat understandable why factions within the Cleveland Guardians fanbase are worried about the team moving forward. The Guardians have not been consistent since the conclusion of the festivities that took place during the All-Star Break, and that can be concerning. While some have decided to go into panic mode at this time, it is a bit premature to begin heading down that road.

Now, it must be said that not all is well when it comes to the Guardians. Losing Alex Cobb to a fractured fingernail is far from ideal and is putting even more pressure on a starting rotation that may not be able to handle it. This is a starting staff that has seen plenty of change throughout this season, and it is hard to rely on a group that seemingly has a different cast of characters each time through the rotation.

There are some concerns offensively as well. This past weekend saw the Guardians score four runs in three games while being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers, including being shut out in Sunday's series finale. Cleveland's offense has not looked quite right for some time, going from extreme highs to extreme lows, and it is hard to win consistently with that being the case.

This all sounds very concerning, why not panic?

It's simple, really. There is a reason why baseball is played over the course of a 162-game season. Baseball is a sport that has plenty of ebbs and flows to it. Each and every team will experience ups and downs throughout their schedule, and the Guardians are no different.

Cleveland is currently 20 games above .500 on the year, so the sky is falling routine really does not make a whole lot of sense. Sure, they are not playing their best baseball as of late, but this is also a team that currently has the second-best record in the American League and the fourth-best in the sport. They have also still managed to maintain a multiple-game lead in the American League Central division despite their recent streakiness.

With all of that being said, yeah, there may be a time to panic about the Cleveland Guardians, but now is not that time. If this time sustains more injuries to essential players or is unable to right the ship offensively in the next week or so, becoming worried about their postseason chances would be warranted. But until then, it is best to sit back and watch a team that has been one of the best in baseball all season long.