Guardians Lost to Time: Assessing Cleveland's Pitching Staff

The Guardians' pitching staff has been a topic of discussion all season, and rightfully so. With multiple injuries affecting their rotation, it's been a challenge for manager Terry Francona and general manager Chris Antonetti to determine when to promote players from the minors.

In a recent interview, Antonetti acknowledged that there is no easy answer to this question. 'I would love if it were that simple and we had some clairvoyant crystal ball to say exactly how that would play out, but we try to make the best judgment we can at the moment with the information we have,' he said.

One player who could soon join the rotation is Gavin Williams, who has dominated in two Triple-A starts with 11 strikeouts and a 0.87 ERA in 10 1/3 innings. However, it may take another injury for Williams to get the call.

In the meantime, the Guardians' current starters are doing their part to stabilize the rotation. Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee have been impressive in their limited starts, with Bibee being a key factor in the team's fourth-place finish in the American League over the past two weeks with a 3.38 ERA.

The starters held the Twins to just five runs in their three-game weekend series, and while no one is studying the standings in May, taking two of three from the division leaders helps ease some of the burn wounds from dropping their previous five series against teams like Detroit, Miami, and Colorado.

As the weather warms up, the Guardians' pitching staff should continue to improve. Cal Quantrill emerged from his usual spring freeze with one of his finest performances Sunday since arriving in Cleveland, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Suddenly, all that molar-gnashing surrounding the starters this winter and recently is starting to dissipate.

The Guardians are only 5-7 in their stretch against tough opponents, but the blame for that falls primarily on an offense that has failed to string together hits and drive the ball with any consistency. With Civale set to return from injury, Francona will have a new challenge on his hands figuring out how to fit six guys into five slots. Peyton Battenfield seems destined to return to Columbus once McKenzie is activated, although he was excellent Friday against the Twins.

For now, the Guardians' pitching staff can take pride in their recent performances and look forward to the continued growth of players like Allen, Bibee, and Williams.

Guardians lost to time