Cleveland Guardians Make Big Roster Decision with Recently DFA'd Pitcher

Triston McKenzie, who has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, won't report right away to the Columbus Clippers. Instead, he'll go to the team's developmental complex in Arizona.

Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Triston McKenzie (24) delivers to the plate in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium on April 5. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie won't report right away to Triple-A Columbus. Instead, he'll head to the team's complex in Arizona to make some adjustments away from the pressure of facing professional hitters.

Per Cleveland.com:

Manager Stephen Vogt said after talking to McKenzie, it was evident that heading to Arizona to work on his delivery and mechanics would be beneficial. The environment there offers a better opportunity than going right into competition at Columbus.

Manager Stephen Vogt said after talking to McKenzie, it was evident that heading to Arizona to work on his delivery and mechanics would be beneficial. The environment there offers a better opportunity than going right into competition at Columbus. https://t.co/ZIJ1aIx2wF

— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) May 1, 2025

McKenzie, 27, was recently designated for assignment after posting an 11.12 ERA in four games for the Guardians. Rather than electing free agency, McKenzie accepted his assignment to Triple-A. He's off the 40-man roster and will now need to work his way back into the fold.

McKenzie looked like one of the true promising arms in baseball in 2022 when he went 11-11 with a 2.96 ERA. He struck out 190 batters in 190.1 innings that season, but an injury in 2023 limited him to just four appearances. He came back in 2024 to make 16 appearances at the big-league level, but he also struggled, going 3-5 with a 5.11 ERA.

Given his age and his former production, it's understandable why the Guardians are happy to see him stick in the organization. We have seen teams do this with players before: The Toronto Blue Jays sent Alek Manoah to their developmental camp to work on his adjustments in 2023.

Cleveland enters play on Thursday at 17-13 and in second place in the American League Central. They'll play the Minnesota Twins at 1:10 p.m. ET.

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