Story by
Cleveland Guardians designate pitcher Triston McKenzie for assignment
- Story by
- Cleveland Guardians designate pitcher Triston McKenzie for assignment
The Cleveland Guardians have designated pitcher Triston McKenzie for assignment.
To fill McKenzie's spot on the roster, the team chose the contract of right-handed pitcher Zak Kent from the Triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers.
Advertisement
It seems to be the end of the road for McKenzie with the Guardians.
What happened with Triston McKenzie ?
McKenzie started his career with the team with a high ceiling. He turned heads as a 24-year-old in 2022 and was one of baseball's Top 100 prospects four years running.
There was every reason to believe he'd continue to blossom in the team's pitching-centric system that turned out three Cy Young Award winners — Corey Kluber (twice) and Shane Bieber — in the past 15 years. Prior to that, Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia also won the honor.
Triston McKenzie's injury issues
However, an ulnar collateral ligament injury in 2023 limited McKenzie to just four starts, despite him not needing Tommy John surgery. He earned a roster spot despite struggling in spring training and entered the season in the bullpen.
Advertisement
He tried to return to play in 2024, but was 3-5 in 16 games with an ERA of 5.11.
In 2025, he pitched just 5⅔ innings and had an ERA of 11.12, surrendering seven earned runs and seven walks.
What to know about Zak Kent
Kent, who will be making his major league debut, has a 2.35 ERA in five relief appearances at Columbus. The Guardians originally acquired him in March 2024 from the Texas Rangers and signed him to a minor league free agent contract last July.
George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians designate Triston McKenzie for assignment
