The Cleveland Guardians just welcomed a potential reinforcement for their postseason push.
LHP Parker Messick looked solid in his MLB debut.
However, he might not be the only helpful arm on the way for Stephen Vogt’s team.
John Means just made his second rehab start on Wednesday, taking the mound for 3.2 innings for High-A Lake County against Fort Wayne.
He retired 10 of the 13 hitters he went against, allowing two hits and one walk.
He threw 51 pitches (34 strikes), and reports show that he had his full repertoire of pitches on display, with his four-seam fastball topping out at 91.5 mph.
That’s clearly a major step in the right direction for the southpaw, who’s still working his way back from 2024 Tommy John surgery.
With that in mind, MLB analyst Tim Stebbins shed some light on his potential debut date with the Guardians:
“From a volume standpoint, Means will likely need to make a couple more rehab starts before he is an option to join Cleveland’s big league roster. Typically, starters add 15 pitches and one inning of volume with each rehab start. That type of progression could position Means to join the Guardians in early September. Right now, he is taking things one step at a time,” Stebbins wrote.
The team is slowly ramping him up in his recovery, as he went from tossing 38 pitches in his first rehab start on Friday to topping the 50-pitch plateau on Wednesday.
He also tossed a couple of innings in a bridge game earlier in August.
The Guardians signed Means on a one-year deal with a club option for the upcoming season, and they always knew that he was going to miss most of the season while recovering.
He’s struggled to stay healthy for the past three years or so, but he’s been one of the best pitchers in the game when he’s been healthy.
As things stand now, the Guardians are relying on Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, and Logan Allen, with Messick and Means in the mix to fill out the rotation.
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