LATEST NEWS

Sept. 16: OF George Valera (Guardians' No. 21 prospect) to undergo right knee surgery Wednesday
On Sept. 10, Valera was carted off the field during his game with Triple-A Columbus after attempting to make a leaping grab at the wall. An MRI revealed a patellar tendon rupture that needs to be surgically repaired on Wednesday at the Cleveland Clinic by Dr. Lutul Farrow. The Guardians are expecting his return to play to be six to nine months.

Sept. 16: LF Steven Kwan day to day with back soreness
Two hours before first pitch on Friday night, the Guardians announced that Kwan was scratched from the lineup with back soreness. His scans came back clear, but until the soreness is gone, they are keeping Kwan out of the lineup.

He was expected to progress to more activities prior to Monday's game and the Guardians hope to have a better idea of his timetable to return to game play on Tuesday.

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Alex Cobb (right hand blister)
Expected return: Late September
Cobb landed back on the injured list on Sept. 12 (retroactive to Sept. 9), a few days after he was scratched from his Sept. 7 start versus the Dodgers due to the blister. He was expected to throw a bullpen during the week of Sept. 16, then will likely begin a rehab assignment after that.

The 36-year-old, who was acquired from the Giants on July 30, didn't make his season debut until Aug. 9, as he was recovering from offseason left hip surgery. After making two starts in August, he missed the rest of the month with a fractured nail on his right hand. In his most recent outing, Cobb threw six scoreless innings against the Pirates on Sept. 1. (Last updated: Sept. 16)

RHP Carlos Carrasco (hip strain)
Expected return: Mid-September
Carrasco threw three innings for Double-A Akron on Sept. 13, giving up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts. He threw 41 pitches (27 strikes) and felt OK afterwards. In 21 starts for the Guardians this season, Carrasco is 3-10 with a 5.64 ERA.

"He’s building back up. We want to make sure his hip is feeling better and everything is healed up," manager Stephen Vogt said on Sept. 3. "We want to get Cookie healed back up to be an option for us to start." (Last updated: Sept. 14)

60-DAY IL

LHP Sam Hentges (left shoulder injury)
Expected return: 2026
After spending parts of August and September getting a handful of different opinions from different doctors, Hentges determined that the best route for him is surgery. He's scheduled to repair an injury to his capsule and labrum on Sept. 18 and the recovery window is expected to be 12-14 months, which likely means he'll miss all of the 2025 season. (Last updated: Sept. 11)

RHP James Karinchak (right shoulder fatigue)
Expected return: TBD
Karinchak was sent on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Columbus after touching as high as 93 mph while pitching at the club’s facility in Goodyear, Ariz. Manager Stephen Vogt said there remains a possibility that Karinchak could pitch for the Guardians before the regular season ends. Karinchak reported to Spring Training with right shoulder fatigue and has been working his way back ever since. (Last updated: Sept. 6)

RHP Daniel Espino (right shoulder capsule and rotator cuff injury; No. 12 on Guardians Top 30 Prospects list)
Expected return: 2025
Espino underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder capsule and rotator cuff injuries on March 13. He's expected to stay in Goodyear, Ariz., to work through his rehab. Although the Guardians don't have a firm timetable on when he may return to action, the team does not expect him to pitch during the 2024 season. (Last updated: May 15)

RHP Shane Bieber (right elbow injury)
Expected return: 2025
Bieber was transferred to the 60-day IL on April 10, and there's no return in sight for Cleveland's ace. He wasn't bouncing back as well as he is used to after his Opening Day start and elbow pain persisted throughout his outing in Seattle.

Bieber underwent imaging that revealed the same problems with his UCL that he had last year. He underwent UCL surgery on April 12. (Last updated: April 13)

RHP Trevor Stephan (UCL surgery)
Expected return: 2025
When Stephan's elbow was examined for discomfort on Feb. 28, a deep bone bruise was discovered. But after it continued to nag him, other opinions were needed. It was determined that his UCL is not providing adequate stability, which caused even more pain in the elbow.

Stephan underwent surgery on March 27 and was given a 12 to 16 month timetable for recovery. (Last updated: March 28)

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