Insider Drops Major Injury Update on Guardians Pitcher
![Aug 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald (38) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Aug 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Paul Sewald (38) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5253,h_2954,x_508,y_85/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/cleveland_baseball_insider/01jjmzb8bz5tt3atv19r.jpg)
The Cleveland Guardians made a very interesting free-agent signing recently, adding relief pitcher Paul Sewald on a one-year deal.
The problem is that Sewald missed some time last year due to a couple of different injuries, which has some Guardians fans concerned about his status for 2025.
However, insider Terry Pluto has assuaged any doubts, saying that Sewald's 2024 injuries are being viewed as very minor issues.
"They consider the injures last year to be rather minor, and they think he’ll bounce back," Pluto wrote. "They are hoping for a bounce back year and they continue to work on depth for their bullpen."
Sewald spent the 2024 campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, pitching to the tune of a 4.31 ERA over 42 relief appearances. He allowed 35 hits while registering 43 strikeouts over 39.2 innings of work.
The good news is that the 34-year-old did not deal with any arm injuries last year, as he was sidelined in separate stints as a result of oblique and neck problems.
And historically, Sewald has been a pretty healthy pitcher, as he made over 60 appearances each year between 2021 and 2023.
The Las Vegas native broke into the big leagues with the New York Mets in 2017, but was largely unsuccessful with the Mets through the first four seasons of his career. He then landed with the Seattle Mariners, where he finally started to break out.
Sewald's most impressive campaign came in 2021, when he went 10-3 with a 3.06 ERA while surrendering just 42 hits and racking up 104 punchouts across 64.2 frames.
He owns a lifetime 4.09 ERA through 359 appearances, logging 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.