Guardians Get Back High-Leverage Arm From Injured List, Option Struggling Rookie

Left-handed reliever Erik Sabrowski is arguably Cleveland's most valuable arm in late-game situations.

May 13, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Erik Sabrowski (62) reacts after striking out Los Angeles Angels left fielder Bryce Teodosio (not pictured) during the eighth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

When the Cleveland Guardians got smacked with a few big injuries, all hopes seemed to be lost.

But just a few days after placing outfielders Angel Martinez and Chase DeLauter, and future Hall of Fame third baseman José Ramírez on the injured list, the team returned a critical arm to the bullpen.

On Friday, June 19, the Guardians activated left-handed pitcher Erik Sabrowski off the 15-day injured list, giving him a chance to suit back up for the red and navy blue for the first time in roughly a month.

Sabrowski had initially jumped on the list due to left elbow inflammation, which Cleveland decided to take seriously. With multiple Tommy John surgeries in the past, this type of discomfort was nothing to play around with.

Fortunately, he progressed well through rehab and eventually made an appearance with the Double-A Akron Rubberducks this past week. He went out for the top of the first inning, throwing 20 pitches across four batters faced. He was able to strike out two, but also walked two and gave up two unearned runs. He topped out at 94 mph.

Being able to throw a handful of pitches was a great sign, especially when dealing with an injury to his throwing arm.

Following his appearance in Akron, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt shared that "Everything's trending towards him joining us soon."

And now, he will get back out onto the bump for a team that needs him badly.

Cleveland is coming off a three-game road trip at American Family Field, where they went 1-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers. While most of the attention was stuck on the team's struggling bats, the bullpen did have a few rocky moments that certainly could've gone better if Sabrowski had been active.

Being able to get him back will help the team out greatly, especially in high-leverage situations when a left-handed arm is needed.

The Guardians are set to take on the Houston Astros this coming weekend. Struggling for most of the year, the one thing that the Astros do have is their bats. Most of the campaign, they have hammered opposing squads, and when the two teams met back in April, the Astros outscored them 16-10.

In a corresponding move, the front office optioned lefty Will Dion to Triple-A Columbus. Across six games and 11.1 innings pitched, he posted a 5.56 ERA and 1.85 WHIP.

Down the line, he could return to the big league squad. For now, he will focus on refining his game with the hopes of getting another chance at the end of the year.

The Guardians and Astros collide from Daikin Park in Houston at 8:10 p.m. EST Friday night.