Three Pitchers Who Could Replace Alex Cobb In The Cleveland Guardians' Starting Rotation

The Cleveland Guardians are running out of options in their starting rotation after Alex Cobb went on the injured list.

Aug 3, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt (12) relieves starting pitcher Joey Cantillo (54) during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The bad news just won’t stop coming for the Cleveland Guardians. Three weeks after acquiring Alex Cobb at the trade deadline, the veteran pitcher is headed back to the injured list with a fractured nail on his right hand.

Who knows how long it’ll take for the hand to heal? But the Guardians will certainly need someone to fill in for Cobb over at least the next one or two starts. Here are three candidates who could replace him in the rotation. 

Joey Cantillo

Cleveland turned to rookie pitcher Joey Cantillo a few times this season when they needed a sports start. The 24-year-old has made three starts this season with a 6.23 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP over 13.0 innings pitched. 

The counting stats may not seem super impressive. But it’s important to remember that Cantillo has made starts against some of MLB’s top lineup in the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and Minnesota Twins. He still showed flashes in each of those starts, with 58 percent of his pitches logging for strikes and a solid curveball. 

Cantillo certainly still needs to develop before being in a major league rotation full-time, but the Guardians will need him to step up.

Triston McKenzie

The Guardians optioned Triston McKenzie on June 30 to help him rediscover his command after a tough start to the season. 

Sticks is still trying to limit the number of runs he’s giving up, specifically the long ball, but he has shown progress on the mound. McKenzie struck out seven batters in his last start on August 17 and 11 batters back on August 3. 

Perhaps now is a good opportunity for him to come back up and show he still has what it takes to pick at the major league level.

May 28, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Triston McKenzie (24) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Doug Nikhazy

This one is certainly a long shot compared to the first two, but why not throw a wild card in here? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Let’s say that the Guardians are ready to give a new arm a chance in their rotation. Doug Nikhazy is likely the next pitching prospect to get the call-up for that opportunity. 

Nikhazy started the season at Double-A but was moved to Triple-A at the end of June and has been a solid pitcher for the Columbus Clippers since the promotion. He has a 3.92 ERA over eight starts and has demonstrated a lot of swing-and-miss potential, with a strikeout rate of 27.4 percent.

The right-hander is 25 years old, so the organization needs to determine his future with them soon. Now might be the best time to bring Nikhazy up for a few starts to see what he can do against big-league hitters.