Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Hits 62 pitches in rehab start
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McKenzie (elbow) worked 3.2 innings and struck out two while giving up three earned runs on three hits and one walk in the second start of his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Columbus.
McKenzie tossed 62 pitches (37 strikes) in the rehab outing, with his fastball topping out at 94.4 miles per hour, per SI.com. Though McKenzie gave up two home runs in the start, he looked healthy and turned in velocity readings that were roughly in line with what he had been posting prior to landing on the shelf June 17 with a right elbow sprain. McKenzie is expected to return from the 60-day injured list to make his next start with the Guardians, possibly as soon as Sunday's series finale with the Orioles. Whenever he's activated, McKenzie will likely be capped around 80 pitches in his next start.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Second rehab start coming Tuesday
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McKenzie (elbow) is set to make the second start of his rehab assignment Tuesday at Triple-A Columbus, MLB.com reports.
After covering three innings and tossing 44 pitches in his first rehab outing last Wednesday with Double-A Akron, McKenzie will shift his rehab assignment to the Guardians' top affiliate this week for what will likely be his final start in the minors before he returns from the 60-day injured list. The Guardians are targeting McKenzie for around 65 pitches Tuesday, and if all goes well, he could slot back into the big-league rotation as soon as this Sunday versus the Orioles. McKenzie has been on the shelf since mid-June with a right UCL sprain.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Fans four in first rehab start
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McKenzie (elbow) struck out four and gave up one run on one hit and one walk over three innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Akron.
McKenzie tossed 44 pitches in his first appearance at any level since he was shut down in late June with a right UCL sprain. Both he and Shane Bieber -- who tossed 3.2 innings for Akron on Tuesday -- appear to be on similar timelines for returns from the 60-day injured list, though both hurlers are likely to require at least one more rehab start or simulated game before being activated. Though McKenzie is tracking toward a return to the Cleveland rotation in late September, his innings and pitch counts could be monitored carefully down the stretch. The Guardians face long odds to unseat the Twins atop the AL Central and may not be incentivized to fully unleash McKenzie and Bieber in the final two weeks of the season if a playoff spot is out of reach.
McKenzie (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron on Wednesday.
McKenzie will be making his first appearance at any level since he was diagnosed with a sprained right UCL in mid-June. The right-hander also dealt with a teres major muscle strain this season, as he's been limited to just two starts for the Guardians and three rehab starts. Cleveland is still hoping to get McKenzie back before the end of the season, though if that happens, he could be subject to a more regulated workload than the Guardians' other starting pitchers.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Stretches out throwing distance
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McKenzie (elbow) has yet to resume throwing off a mound but had increased his throwing distance off flat ground to 105 feet as of Thursday, MLB.com reports.
McKenzie appears to be only slightly behind Shane Bieber in their respective recoveries from elbow injuries, as Bieber has stretched out his throwing distance to 120 feet. Both pitchers are tracking toward returns from the 60-day injured list at some point in September, but any setback along the way would put McKenzie at risk of being shuttered for the remainder of the season. McKenzie is in the midst of his second IL stint of the season after he opened the campaign on the shelf while recovering from a right teres major muscle strain suffered late in spring training.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Playing catch again
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McKenzie (elbow) hasn't experienced any setbacks since he resumed playing catch July 28, MLB.com reports.
According to the report, McKenzie was able to play catch on five consecutive days without issue, a good sign as he continues his recovery from a right UCL sprain. He remains hopeful to pitch again for the big club in 2023, but until he reaches the point in his rehab where he's facing live hitters, the Guardians likely won't offer up a concrete target date for his return from the 60-day injured list. Based on where he currently stands in his rehab program, McKenzie is likely at least a month away from rejoining the Cleveland rotation in a best-case scenario.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Shut down three more weeks
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McKenzie (elbow) will remain shut down for three more weeks, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
McKenzie has already been shut down for more than two weeks after being diagnosed with partially torn right UCL in mid-June. He will attempt to rehab the injury with rest, with the goal of starting a throwing program later this month and eventually returning late in the season. Of course, Tommy John surgery is always a possibility with this type of injury if rest and rehab doesn't do the trick.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Shut down for multiple weeks
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McKenzie (elbow) will be shut down from throwing for "several weeks" after he was diagnosed Tuesday with a UCL sprain, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
The elbow sprain prompted McKenzie's move to the 15-day injured list Saturday. He'll receive a second opinion on his injury, but McKenzie estimated it could be a month before he starts throwing again, which likely pushes his earliest potential return date into August.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Shelved with elbow sprain
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The Guardians placed McKenzie on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right elbow sprain, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
McKenzie was scratched from his start Friday versus the Diamondbacks, and he's unsurprisingly headed to the injured list. There's no timetable for when the right-hander will be able to return, but he'll miss at least two weeks while recovering. McKenzie has only been able to make two starts so far this year, as he missed the first two months of the season with shoulder issues.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Undergoing MRI on elbow
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McKenzie is getting an MRI on his right elbow Friday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
The Guardians will make a decision on whether he'll need a stint on the 15-day injured list after seeing the results. McKenzie was scratched from his start versus the Diamondbacks on Friday, a concerning development after the right-hander missed the first couple of months of the season due to shoulder trouble.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Struggles in second start
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McKenzie (0-1) took the loss against Houston on Saturday, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out five batters over five innings.
McKenzie dazzled in his season debut against Minnesota last Sunday, allowing just one hit while striking out 10 batters over five scoreless innings. He looked far more mortal Saturday, surrendering three runs in the first frame and two more in the fourth en route to the loss. On the plus side, McKenzie missed plenty of bats in inducing 15 swinging strikes, so there's evidence to suggest that his previous start wasn't a mirage. The right-hander is tentatively lined up for a road start in Arizona his next time out.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Dazzles in return to mound
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McKenzie mowed down the Twins' lineup, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out 10 over five innings. He did not factor into the decision.
McKenzie's 2023 debut was certainly one to remember. It was his seventh career double-digit strikeout game, and he became just the fifth pitcher in MLB history to throw five innings or less while allowing zero runs, striking out 10 or more and allowing 1 or fewer hits and walks. His slider was noticeably dominant in the outing. He got seven swings on it and six swing and misses for an absurd 86 percent whiff rate. It's obviously coming from a very small sample size, but fantasy managers who opted to hold on to McKenzie after the preseason injury news certainly seem to be rewarded. The 25-year-old will look to keep rolling into a home start against the Astros next weekend.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Activated for season debut
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The Guardians reinstated McKenzie (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start Sunday in Minnesota, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
McKenzie will be making his season debut after missing the first two months while recovering from a right teres major muscle strain. The right-hander was outstanding during the 2022 season with a 2.96 ERA over 191 innings, and while there may be a bit of rust to shake off, it's reasonable to expect him to be a strong fantasy option for the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He logged 10.1 innings over the course of his three-start rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus, pitching to a 4.35 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 13:4 K:BB.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Season debut coming Sunday
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McKenzie (shoulder) will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to start Sunday's game in Minnesota, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
McKenzie suffered a teres major muscle strain in his final Cactus League start this spring and wound up missing the first two months of the 2023 regular season, but he's ready to rock now following three minor-league rehab outings with Triple-A Columbus. The young right-hander broke out to the tune of a 2.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 190:44 K:BB over 191.1 regular-season innings last year with Cleveland.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Throws 85 pitches in rehab outing
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McKenzie (shoulder) hurled three innings of one-run baseball while allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts during a rehab appearance with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday.
McKenzie was scheduled to work deeper in the contest, but unfortunately the outing was shortened by rain delays. While he wasn't able to continue on the mound, the right-hander was able to throw a simulated inning in the batting cage while also getting up to 85 pitches with a bullpen session after the rain stopped, per Joe Noga of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. McKenzie has missed all of 2023 while recovering from his shoulder injury, but assuming everything checked out well during his third rehab outing, he should be ready to make his 2023 Cleveland debut later this weekend.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Making one more rehab start
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McKenzie (shoulder) is scheduled to make a third rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
Guardians manager Terry Francona said he's hoping for McKenzie to get stretched out to around 85 pitches Tuesday in what would likely be the right-hander's final rehab start before he makes his return from the 60-day injured list. McKenzie, who has been on the shelf since suffering a right teres major muscle strain during his final start of spring training March 26, covered 4.1 innings and 68 pitches in his most recent rehab start with Columbus this past Thursday, striking out six while allowing four earned runs on six hits and two walks. With both McKenzie and Aaron Civale (oblique) seemingly due to return from the IL within the next week or two, the Guardians may have to move one of Logan Allen or Tanner Bibee to the bullpen or back to the minors to clear up two spots in the rotation.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Completes second bullpen session
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McKenzie (shoulder) threw another bullpen session Tuesday in New York, MLB.com reports.
The side session was McKenzie's second since he exited his final Cactus League start in late March with a right teres major muscle strain. After throwing a 20-pitch session last weekend consisting entirely of fastballs, it's unclear whether McKenzie was able to incorporate any breaking pitches Tuesday. The Guardians haven't formally outlined McKenzie's next steps, but he's expected to report to the organization's spring training facility in Arizona to continue his throwing progression before eventually heading out on a minor-league rehab assignment. McKenzie is first eligible to come off the 60-day IL on May 29, and that date still appears to be a realistic target for his return.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Could throw bullpen this weekend
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McKenzie (shoulder) could being throwing in the bullpen as early as this weekend, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports.
McKenzie appears to have made significant progress over the past few weeks, as he was able to throw from 75 feet Friday and has worked his way up to now being on the precipice of bullpen sessions. The 25-year-old has missed the entirety of the 2023 campaign while recovering from his right teres major muscle sprain, and while there are some tasks to check off, it does appear that McKenzie is trending in the right direction to come off the 60-day injured list May 29 when he's first eligible.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Starts up throwing program
Rotowire
McKenzie (shoulder) began a throwing program Friday, MLB.com reports.
Sidelined all season with the right teres major muscle strain he suffered in his final Cactus League start in late March, McKenzie has finally taken the first meaningful step forward in his recovery from the injury. He played catch from approximately 75 feet Friday, and he should gradually stretch out his throwing distance off flat ground over the next couple of weeks before eventually moving on to mound work. The Guardians transferred McKenzie to the 60-day injured list earlier this month, but the team remains optimistic that the lanky right-hander will be ready to return when first eligible for activation May 29.
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Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Closing in on throwing program
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McKenzie (shoulder) was re-evaluated Sunday and has been cleared to start resume throwing weighted balls before beginning a throwing program later this week, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
McKenzie suffered a right teres major muscle strain in his final spring training start back on March 26, prompting the Guardians to place him on the injured list to begin the season while barring him from activity for two weeks. The rest appears to have done McKenzie some good, as he's now on track to start ramping back up in the coming days. The Guardians aren't putting a timeline on McKenzie's return and likely won't have clarity on a potential target date until he advances further in his throwing program, but given that he'll presumably need multiple rehab starts to get fully stretched out, he presumably won't be ready to make his season debut until around early-to-mid-May in a best-case scenario.
