Pitching injuries putting Guardians in a quandary
Sep. 12—Konnor Pilkington, 1-2 before the game began, was the starting pitcher for the Guardians on Sept. 12 in the first of a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels at Progressive Field.
Cody Morris, 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA, is scheduled to make his third career start in the second game of the series on Sept. 13.
That versatile Guardians pitcher, TBD, will get the start Sept. 14 against the Angels' Patrick Sandoval. Sandoval has an unglamorous record of 5-9, but his 2.98 ERA is better than the ERA of any Guardians' starter. TBD is also starting for the home team on Sept. 15 when the Guardians host the White Sox in a makeup game.
.@CleGuardians manager Terry Francona updates the injuries to Zach Plesac (broken right pinkie) and Aaron Civale (right forearm inflammation). pic.twitter.com/fklG1hbo2C
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) September 12, 2022
The G-men are being forced to use starters who would not normally be part of the rotation because Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale are recovering from injuries. It would be no big deal if the Guardians were not trying to hold onto first place in the American League Central Division, but they are.
It is either win the division and keep playing after the regular season ends Oct. 5 in a home game with Kansas City (the Guardians and Royals play six straight at Progressive Field to end the season) or finish second or third in the Central and then start the chores that were put off during the season. No wild-card team is emerging from the Guardians' division.
Plesac and Civale are progressing from their injuries, but there is still no target date for either to return, manager Terry Francona said before the Sept. 12 game with the Angels.
Plesac last pitched on Aug. 27 in Seattle. He gave up a home run to the Mariners' Jake Lamb in the seventh inning and, frustrated with himself, bent at the waist and punched the ground with his right hand — his pitching hand. He fractured his right pinkie finger in the process.
"(Plesac) did long toss today and that was a big step for him," Francona said Sept. 12. "If he gets through that OK, then maybe we can start thinking about letting him get on the mound at some point.
"He's a tough kid. It's a little bit of foreign territory even for the trainers, trying to figure out how much to give him. It helps (him wanting) to get out there to pitch. But we also feel the need to take care of him. We can't let the kid hurt himself, either."
Plesac injured his right thumb last season when he banged it on a chair "aggressively" — Francona's word — ripping off his T-shirt after a sub-par outing against the Twins.
Ironically, Plesac (4-11) was the winning pitcher in the game in which he was injured. The Guardians won, 4-3. It was Plesac's first victory since June 5 when the Guardians beat the Orioles, 3-2.
Civale's injury was more typical for a pitcher late in the season. He landed on the injured list with right forearm inflammation. It is Civale's third stint on the I.L. this season.
Civale is ahead of Plesac in his recovery process. Civale threw a bullpen session Sept. 12 under the supervision of pitching coach Carl Willis.
Francona said Cal Quantrill will start either the Sept. 14 game against the Angels or the Sept. 15 game against the White Sox. The White Sox are in second place in the Central Division, 2.5 games behind the Guardians.
The next puzzle to solve will be finding two starters for the day-night doubleheader with the Twins on Sept. 17. Civale could get one of those starts.
