Guardians Have Clear Plan For Recently Optioned Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians once again find themselves in need of more starting pitching, especially with Ben Lively undergoing season-ending surgery and Slade Cecconi dealing with mild tightness in his groin.

To give themselves another option in the future, the Guardians optioned Joey Cantillo to Triple-A on Tuesday, with the sole purpose of stretching him to be a starter.

"When we broke spring training, we needed Joey in the bullpen for where our roster was, and now we feel like we're at a point where we want to get Joey back in the mix as a starting pitching option," Stephen Vogt said ahead of Tuesday.

"The fact that he's already built up to 40, 50 pitches, it shouldn't take long."

Joey Cantillo throws a pitch — May 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning during game one of a doubleheader at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Cantillo has plenty of experience as a starting pitcher. He came up through Cleveland's organization in this role and made eight starts in his rookie season, posting a 5.11 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.

Vogt admitted he's liked what he's seen from Cantillo out of the bullpen, but also knows the value he can bring with Cleveland having limited starting options right now.

"I've been really pleased with the way Joey's been throwing the last month and we think, we know he can be a help for us as a starting piece at some point."

The last time Cantillo pitched in a game was on May 26, so he likely won't make his first minor league start of the season until this weekend for ample time to rest..

If Cantillo proves he can be a viable option as a starter, he could soon be back up with the big league team and join Cleveland's rotation in some capacity.

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