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Last week had not been the kindest to the Cleveland Guardians in terms of injury news.
First, the team found out that three of the top hitters in their lineup, Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez, would need to be on the injured list for what could be a prolonged period.
Then, exactly a week after that occurred, the Guardians announced that their top pitching prospect, Khal Stephen, who Cleveland acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Shane Bieber at last year’s trade deadline, would need to undergo elbow surgery.
It’s not entirely clear what type of procedure Stephen needs, for example, whether it’s Tommy John surgery or something else. The 23-year-old is set to meet with Dr. Keith Meister on July 2 to determine the severity and what further action must be taken.
Either way, Stephen faces a long road to recovery and has likely had his last pitch of the 2026 season, and possibly the rest of the 2027 season.
“Obviously he's disappointed,” said assistant general manager James Harris.
“He's a good pitcher and we're excited about him, and we thought that he could help us this year. But we know that he's going to fight and work hard to help us in the future.”
When it comes to an injury and recovery, such as the one Stephen is facing, Harris pointed out it's something team doctor and Dr. Meister will worked together on.
"It's a team effort, and a surgery like that and a rehab like that is over a year. Over that course of time, a week or so to get it right and make sure that we're heading this in the right direction is worth it.”
Stephen originally left his start on June 7 and was placed on the injured list on June 10 with right elbow soreness. Given the symptoms, everyone was hoping for the best-case scenario when results came back, but the opposite occurred.
The right-hander was putting together a solid campaign at Double-A with the Akron RubberDucks before the injury, logging a 3.44 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP in 12 starts. Some of Stephen’s advanced numbers were lacking, though, such as his strikeout rate of just 20 percent and whiff rate of 23.3 percent.
Stephen still has a bright future as a staple in the Guardians' rotation, but it's going to take him much longer to reach that objective.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
First, the team found out that three of the top hitters in their lineup, Jose Ramirez, Chase DeLauter, and Angel Martinez, would need to be on the injured list for what could be a prolonged period.
Then, exactly a week after that occurred, the Guardians announced that their top pitching prospect, Khal Stephen, who Cleveland acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Shane Bieber at last year’s trade deadline, would need to undergo elbow surgery.
It’s not entirely clear what type of procedure Stephen needs, for example, whether it’s Tommy John surgery or something else. The 23-year-old is set to meet with Dr. Keith Meister on July 2 to determine the severity and what further action must be taken.
Either way, Stephen faces a long road to recovery and has likely had his last pitch of the 2026 season, and possibly the rest of the 2027 season.
“Obviously he's disappointed,” said assistant general manager James Harris.
“He's a good pitcher and we're excited about him, and we thought that he could help us this year. But we know that he's going to fight and work hard to help us in the future.”
When it comes to an injury and recovery, such as the one Stephen is facing, Harris pointed out it's something team doctor and Dr. Meister will worked together on.
"It's a team effort, and a surgery like that and a rehab like that is over a year. Over that course of time, a week or so to get it right and make sure that we're heading this in the right direction is worth it.”
Stephen originally left his start on June 7 and was placed on the injured list on June 10 with right elbow soreness. Given the symptoms, everyone was hoping for the best-case scenario when results came back, but the opposite occurred.
The right-hander was putting together a solid campaign at Double-A with the Akron RubberDucks before the injury, logging a 3.44 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP in 12 starts. Some of Stephen’s advanced numbers were lacking, though, such as his strikeout rate of just 20 percent and whiff rate of 23.3 percent.
Stephen still has a bright future as a staple in the Guardians' rotation, but it's going to take him much longer to reach that objective.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
