Will Dion To Make Major League Debut This Week for Guardians, Stephen Vogt Reacts

The Cleveland Guardians are preparing to give Will Dion his first taste of major league action at some point this week, as the front office called him up on Tuesday, May 26.

Columbus Clippers Will Dion (23) pitches the ball during the game against the St. Paul Saints at Huntington Park on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yet again, the Cleveland Guardians have decided to make changes to the major league bullpen.

On Tuesday, May 26, the Guardians promoted left-handed prospect pitcher Will Dion to the active roster, selecting his contract in the process. Dion has been silently grinding his way through Cleveland's farm system for the past few campaigns, making improvements season by season.

Along the way, he has changed his approach on the mound, switched from a starter to a reliever and even tested the waters with short relief to long relief.

"You know, Will's been a very dynamic pitcher the whole time through the minor leagues, starter, bullpen, short stints, long, just gives us a variety of options and abilities to use him. And what a great story, developed from within, and he gets to make his major league debut this week, so really excited for him."

With the Guardians losing Erik Sabrowski to the injured list due to left elbow inflammation, such a move to bring up Dion was necessary to add a dynamic left-handed arm to the bullpen.

Across 15 appearances and 26 innings this season down in Columbus, the 26-year-old has gone 3-0 while on the mound, sporting a 4.50 ERA and 1.115 WHIP along the way. He has also posted a strong 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings, which should be a good fit for the major league staff.

Losing Sabrowski, though, puts Dion in a tough spot to fill big shoes.

"I think it was probably the best case scenario, the findings came back with inflammation, and that's about the best news you can get for somebody like Erik," Vogt said. "So, he's very optimistic about it, JD and the medical staff are very optimistic about it, so good news."

While it’s uncertain when Sabrowski will return, especially considering Vogt said that they haven’t come anywhere close to establishing a timetable, the Guardians will likely continue taking a cautious approach with the left-hander moving forward. 

Initially, it looked like the Guardians had found a replacement in lefty Logan Allen. He was promoted to the big league squad a few days back and made his season debut on Monday night in a 10-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. Allen was the only pitcher on the Guardians to not give up an earned run.

He finished with five hits and two unearned runs allowed, striking out a game-high seven batters along the way. The front office obviously didn't see a long-term fit and needed another fresh arm, with Dion fitting that answer.

"Logan came up and was outstanding for us, covered four innings, but we needed more length," Vogt said.

The Guardians are right back in action on Tuesday night at 6:10 p.m. EST for the second outing of a three-game set, with Dion able to make his debut if the timing is right. He is in Cleveland and will wear No. 98, a first for the organization.