Triston McKenzie will be continuing his search for command in Columbus.
The Guardians activated starting pitcher Gavin Williams off the injured list and optioned McKenzie to Triple-A Sunday morning.
McKenzie is coming off of a 2023 season in which he pitched only 16 innings due to a teres major strain (back/shoulder) and a UCL sprain in his throwing elbow. He opted against surgery as he rehabbed from the UCL sprain, which was one of his options.
He returned in 2024, but the results haven't been pretty. Entering Sunday, McKenzie led the American League in both home runs allowed (19) and walks (49) to go with a 5.11 ERA. His WHIP had never been above 1.183 in a full season. In 2024, it has ballooned to 1.559.
His fastball velocity has been down roughly one mph this season compared to last year, though that had started to creep back up to his previous levels in recent weeks. The more pressing issue has been his command, and how he's often been fighting high traffic on the bases.
"It's been inconsistent with Triston at times," said Chris Antonetti, Guardians president of baseball operations, on a Zoom call Saturday. "We saw (recently) he probably carried his best stuff of the year, if you look at not only his velocity but some of the pitch metrics, but command has probably been the thing that has been a work in progress, mostly."
Williams, who will take McKenzie's place in the rotation for the time being, is finally able to make his 2024 season debut after missing the first few months with an elbow injury of his own.
Williams posted a 3.29 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 82 innings as a rookie last year. The 2024 season would have been his first full year in the majors, but he has been sidelined since spring camp, which along with Shane Bieber needing Tommy John surgery opened the door for larger roles in the rotation for Ben Lively and Carlos Carrasco .
Antonetti noted that Williams won't be "unrestricted" like a typical starting pitcher just yet, but the Guardians felt he was bouncing back from his rehab outings well enough that he can contribute at the major league level.
The Guardians also added veteran left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd via a one-year deal and placed him on the injured list.
Boyd has been recovering from Tommy John surgery. Across nine major league seasons, he has a 4.94 ERA, almost all of it with the Detroit Tigers .
Boyd is to the point of throwing live batting practice, according to Antonetti, with the possibility that he can return to games at some point in August if all continues to go well with his rehab.
Boyd effectively gives the Guardians some additional pitching depth later this season.
"We want to make sure that we see his rehab through appropriately, and that we're putting himself in a position not only to impact our team this year, but to have a healthy and successful continuation of his career in 2025 and beyond," Antonetti said. "I think we're all aligned that our best guess at this point will be at some point in August, he'll be able to join our rotation."
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians option Triston McKenzie to Triple-A
