Cleveland Guardians Get Brutal Injury Update On Key Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians have received a brutal injury update on a key relief pitcher.

Sep 24, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Sam Hentges (31) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. / Aaron Josefczyk-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are 82-62 entering Tuesday's MLB action and appear to be a potential World Series contender.

Throughout the course of the 2024 season, the Guardians have had plenty of ups and quite a few downs as well. However, they are still by record one of the best teams in baseball.

Unfortunately, with the regular season winding down quickly and the playoffs almost here, Cleveland has received some brutal injury news.

Sam Hentges, a left-handed reliever who has played well this season, is set to undergo surgery. It has been released that he is dealing with an injury involving his capsule and labrum in his left shoulder. The recovery timetable for his return to baseball is estimated between 12 to 14 months.

Needless to say, this is really tough blow for the Guardians' bullpen.

Hentges has appeared in 25 games so far this season with Cleveland. He has compiled a 3.04 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP, a 5.4 K/BB ratio, nine holds, and 23.2 innings pitched.

He would have been a very nice piece to have in the postseason.

At 28 years old, Hentges has plenty of future contract control. He'll be back with the Guardians when he's able to pitch again. It'll be a long road to get back to the mound, but hopefully he'll be able to stay upbeat and attack it hard.

All of that being said, this is just another tough injury blow for the Guardians. They will hope to remain healthy throughout the rest of the season and be able to make a run in the American League playoff picture.