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The Cleveland Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball last season, and it wasn't particularly close. They were led by multiple top American League arms, including the best closer in baseball, Emmanuel Clase.
But this season, Clase has been a shell of his former self. Through 10 1/3 innings, Clase had allowed 20 hits and nine earned runs, good for a 7.84 ERA. Then, he took a few days off as he dealt with a shoulder injury before pitching a perfect eighth inning.
After that game against the Boston Red Sox, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt made quite a shocking announcement about Clase.
"He was Clase," Vogt said Saturday. "It was great. I talked with him before the game, (and) said, 'Hey, it's been five days, (you) didn't go on a rehab, we don't want to put you on the IL, we want to keep you active, probably look for a little lower leverage just to get you back on your feet. And he was great with it, and that's the teammate he is, and he'll be right back in that closer role."
This decision is absolutely best for Clase and the team.
Cleveland needs to get him back in rhythm, and the best way to do it is to give him some lower-leverage situations to throw in.
Cade Smith will seemingly step into the closer role in place of Clase. On the season, Smith has thrown 14 innings and allowed just two earned runs. He's recorded three saves.
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About the writer
Zach Pressnell is a Newsweek contributor based in Columbus, Ohio. His focus is MLB content. He has an extensive knowledge ... Read more