Guardians Option Struggling Reliever as They Retool Bullpen Ahead of Tigers Series

The Cleveland Guardians have made a change to the bullpen following a strugglesome week against the New York Yankees at home.

May 17, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Codi Heuer (50) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Since coming up from Triple-A in late May, right-handed reliever Codi Heuer hadn't settled in with the Cleveland Guardians' major league bullpen.

He put together a few decent showings, but never really found a suitable role.

On Thursday, June 11, Cleveland's off-day ahead of a three-game weekend series against the Detroit Tigers, the front office optioned Heuer back to Columbus, freeing up a roster spot. As of now, no move has been made, but the team has confirmed they will make a promotion on Friday.

#Guardians reliever Codi Heuer has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus ahead of a weekend series against the Tigers. #GuardsBall

— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) June 11, 2026

Earlier this week, Heuer received playing time against one of the league's best teams, the New York Yankees. He pitched in one game, going across 0.2 innings of action.

Unfortunately, the Yanks got the better of him as he gave up two hits, two walks and two earned runs, striking out one along the way.

Primarily used in games where the Guardians were already trailing, Heuer rarely saw action in high-leverage situations. With the team looking to bounce back ahead of a key divisional series, opening a roster spot for a fresh, healthy arm could provide a much-needed boost.

Who will take his spot?

Fortunately, there are plenty of options down in Triple-A Columbus.

But one stands out as the most obvious: Franco Aleman.

The 25-year-old right-handed pitcher would slot right back into the bullpen with ease, considering he was already up at the major league level a few weeks ago. Given the back on May 8, Aleman would go on to appear in two games for the Guardians before being optioned back down to the minors.

When the move occurred, the front office and coaching staff made it known that this was not a permanent option and that it was done to get another fresh arm up to the highest level. At the time, they had gone through many tough outings, ones where the bullpen was stressed heavily.

Aleman pitched through 2.2 innings, giving up three hits, one walk and one earned run, striking out one. He faced 10 total batters and threw 52 pitches.

With the Guardians needing a dynamic, heat-throwing pitcher, Aleman makes sense to see a return to Progressive Field.

If Aleman is not a current option, but a down-the-line thought, someone else who could end up being promoted is Daniel Espino. Over the past few weeks, he has looked better and better. At the last homestand, the Guardians' President of Baseball Operations, Chris Antonetti, shared that his promotion is still on the table this season.

“Very much so,” he said in response to a question about his chances of making the jump to the big leagues. “That's still very much a possibility, and Daniel's done his part to continue to prepare for that opportunity when it's there.”

No matter who it is, they'll be put under a big spotlight to produce. Cleveland's bullpen has been rocky recently, and with a need to end a four-game losing streak, they'll have to come ready to go.