Cleveland Guardians Relief Pitcher Sam Hentges Provides Encouraging Injury Update

His bio will tell you Shoreview, Minnesota is his hometown, but Sam Hentges is a Clevelander.

How could he not be? Drafted out of high school by the organization in 2014, Hentges is the second-longest tenured member of the club behind José Ramírez. A stalwart of Terry Francona’s final bullpens, Hentges broke out as a setup option in 2022 with a 0.97 WHIP and 2.32 ERA, never looking back. He seamlessly transitioned into the Stephen Vogt era with a career-low WHIP and 3.04 ERA before injuring his shoulder midsummer.

After rehabbing the shoulder injury in 2023 and early 2024, Hentges was shut down for surgery and has not pitched in a big league game since July 10, 2024. As he works toward a return to Cleveland in 2026, he feels closer than ever.

“I try to watch every single one of the games,” said Hentges. “I really try to dial in when the boys in the pen come into the game. If for some reason I can’t watch it, I will be following the box scores on the app.”

While watching his teammates, golfing, and staying connected to baseball have kept him busy, nothing has been more important than time with his young son, who Sam says has “the motor of an NFL defensive end.”

“I want to take care of my family,” Hentges said. “I want to give my son memories of watching his dad play in the big leagues and prove that this ‘newer’ surgery can be overcome.”

While Hentges underwent a relatively new shoulder procedure, he hasn’t navigated it alone.

“I have talked with a couple other people who have had a similar surgery, one of them being Daniel Espino,” Hentges said. “He has helped throughout the process, and explained how long it can take to start feeling normal again on the baseball field. Almost everyone that I have talked to said the same thing: just trust it and keep working, because the results will come eventually.”

For Hentges, recognizing that every day is a win has been a staple of his mindset.

“With a longer process like this, feeling comfortable and confident just playing catch is something that is important,” Hentges said. “I had some discomfort and pain for about the first five months of throwing progression but have started to feel more comfortable and ‘good’ throwing again over the last month, which has been a huge step.”

The southpaw noted that hitting milestones like playing catch for the first time, throwing out to 90 feet, and returning to bullpens all mark progress.

“There are various steps in the process that are very small, but they feel so large because rehab has become your everyday life,” Hentges said. “There’s a lot of things that go through your head throughout the process, which can be difficult when you’re in the thick of it, but will seem so minor when looking back.”

Ever humble, Hentges credited much of his progress to his family.

While he values discipline and consistency over bursts of motivation, Hentges admits he’s itching to pitch in big moments at Progressive Field.

“I can’t wait,” Hentges said. “I just can’t wait to be back out there wearing Cleveland across the chest, representing the city, my teammates, and anybody associated with the Guardians organization.”

He’ll be back soon, folks, eager as always to rep his second hometown.