The Cleveland Guardians can't afford to sit around and let things work out. They need to be actively moving pieces around to make the major league roster as good as it can be ahead of the 2026 postseason.
And on Friday, Sept. 4, the front office showed that they believe in that sentiment as well.
In a flurry of moves, the Guardians placed right-handed relief pitcher Colin Holderman on the 15-day injured list and designated right-handed relief pitcher Carlos Hernndez for assignment. In a corresponding move, two righties were added back to the major league roster.
Slade Cecconi , who had been rehabbing for quite a bit of time now, was activated off the 15-day injured list, while rookie Austin Peterson is being given his first taste of major league action.
The two are expected to get appearances on the bump this weekend as the Guardians welcome the Detroit Tigers into town for a four-game series from Progressive Field.
Hernandez wasn't quite playing at the level the Guardians could justify keeping him in the big leagues for.
The 29-year-old appeared in two games, pitching three total innings and allowed five hits, one walk and two earned runs. He also allowed one home run. However, he did post four strikeouts.
With such a rocky bullpen all year long, that type of production wasn't going to cut it, even if he could turn it around with a bit longer of a leash.
Holderman, on the other hand, is a pretty big hit to Cleveland 's pitching staff.
While he may not have dominated as of late, he has been arguably one of the organization's best early/middle-relief arms. Across 54 appearances and 52.2 innings of work, the 30-year-old owns a 2.73 ERA and 1.044 WHIP. He has also tacked on 50 strikeouts .
One of Holderman's best attributes was limiting heavy contact, with him only giving up one homer the entire season.
Hopefully, he can get healthy in time for Cleveland's potential postseason run.
Well, to make up for Holderman's role, Cecconi has returned from the injured list and received a promotion back to the big leagues. There were rumors swirling that he may be stuck in Triple-A through the end of the season.
Instead, after missing nearly a month of big-league action, he will return.
Expected to play a big role in the middle innings, Cecconi will also be relied upon to eat innings if the opportunity presents itself.
While many eyes will be on the 27-year-old former starter , others will be looking at Peterson to see what he has to offer.
The 26-year-old rookie is making the jump to The Show after four years of minor league ball within the organization. He made a quick climb from Single-A in 2023, up to Triple-A by 2025. Throughout the 2026 season, he has made 21 appearances and 19 starts, posting a 4.53 ERA and 1.416 WHIP.
With the Guardians' major league rotation pretty much set, Peterson will likely get tested out of the bullpen.
The native of Valparaiso, Ind., is being thrust into a pretty important part of the Guardians' season, so expectations within the organization must be high.
The Guardians and Tigers kick off a four-game set on Friday, Sept. 2, at 2:10 p.m. EST, with the second game to follow at 7:15 p.m. EST.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/guardians/onsi as Guardians Place Reliever on Injured List, DFA Another As Roster Moves Continue .
