Player Outlook
Triston McKenzie entrenched his place in Cleveland's rotation in 2022 with a 2.96 ERA in 30 starts, but his 2023 campaign was derailed by injuries. He suffered a teres major muscle strain in late March that prevented him from making his season debut until June, and he made just two appearances before returning to the injured list with a partially torn UCL in his right elbow. Tommy John surgery was fortunately avoided, and he rejoined Cleveland's rotation for two starts down the stretch. McKenzie ended 2023 healthy and should have a normal offseason, but he could face some workload limitations while coming off a lost year. His numbers (5.06 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 16:13 K:BB) aren't worth dissecting much given the circumstances, and he's a prime rebound candidate in 2024. However, that upside is accompanied by plenty of risk given his multiple arm injuries last year.

Fantasy Stats

Year fpts
Fantasy Points
fpts/g
Fantasy Points per Game
ip
Innings Pitched
w
Wins
l
Losses
sv
Saves
so
Strikeouts
bb
Base on Balls (Walk)
era
Earned Run Average
whip
Walks and Hits Allowed Per Inning
2024 0.00 0.00
2023 71.8 16.0 3 16 13 5.06 1.56
2022 49516 191.3 11 11 190 44 2.96 0.95
3y Avg. 24112.1 109.0 5 8 114 38 3.80 1.06
Projections Powered by
Fantasy Performance by Week
87%
Roster
66%
Start
#72
SP Rank

Fantasy News

  • Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Sharp in spring debut

    McKenzie struck out two batters, walked none and allowed one hit over two scoreless innings Wednesday versus the Brewers. McKenzie was a little delayed in making his spring debut, but it was an encouraging start. The right-hander is projected to be near the front of the Guardians' rotation in 2024. He pitched just 16 innings in 2023, posting a 5.06 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 16:13 K:BB while battling shoulder and elbow injuries. That health history is a concern, but McKenzie was good enough in 2022 (2.96 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) to be a fascinating option for fantasy managers.
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  • Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Healthy heading into camp

    McKenzie said at the Guardians' FanFest event Saturday that he's "feeling great" physically, Leah Doherty of Cleveland 19 News reports. McKenzie was limited to just four starts for the Guardians in 2023 due to shoulder and elbow problems, but he finished the season healthy and has thrown without issue this winter. The right-hander noted that he's thrown more this offseason than he normally would in order to make up for lost time. McKenzie represents a buy-low option for fantasy managers, but he will remain a health risk heading into 2024.
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  • Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Settles with Guardians

    McKenzie signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Guardians on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. McKenzie was limited to only 16 innings in 2023 due to an elbow injury, though he did end the campaign healthy. Assuming he can get through spring training unscathed, he should pair up with Shane Bieber as the two veteran leaders of the Guardians' rotation in 2024.
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  • Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Allows one run in loss

    McKenzie (0-3) took the loss Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and three walks over 4.1 innings against the Tigers. He struck out one. McKenzie went 1-2-3 through the first two innings before giving up a leadoff single and a walk in the third, though he was able to pitch his way out of the jam. He would allow one run to come across in the next frame and would eventually be relieved by Nick Sandlin with one out in the fifth. The right-hander took the loss in his two starts after returning from the injured list (elbow), registering a 6.00 ERA and a dreadful 1:9 K:BB over that stretch.
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  • Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Reinstated for Sunday's start

    McKenzie (elbow) was activated from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start Sunday against the Orioles. The right-hander is expected to be limited to about five innings and 80 pitches in his first major-league start since June 10. McKenzie missed the first two months of the season with a shoulder strain and made just two starts before he suffered a UCL sprain. It's been a lost season for the 26-year-old, but he'll at least have the chance to make a couple starts down the stretch.
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  • Guardians' Triston McKenzie: In line to start Sunday

    McKenzie (elbow) will be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Sunday's game against the Orioles. He'll be the second Guardians starting pitcher this weekend to make his return from a lengthy absence due to an elbow injury, after Shane Bieber returned from the 60-day IL on Friday to cover five innings in a win over Baltimore. Like Bieber, McKenzie is expected to face a rough limit of around five innings and 80 pitches while he makes his first start for the big club since June 10 and just his third of the season. After Sunday's outing, McKenzie will likely line up for one final start during the Guardians' season-closing series in Detroit next weekend.
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  • Guardians' Triston McKenzie: Hits 62 pitches in rehab start

    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

    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: Starting rehab assignment

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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: Undergoing MRI on elbow

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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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