Cleveland Guardians top setup man Hunter Gaddis opened the season on the injured list with a right forearm strain. The issue sounds major, but the right-hander dodged a bullet and is actually inching closer to a return to action with the MLB team.
Gaddis, one of the key men in the Guardians’ bullpen in each of the last two seasons, reported the first symptoms in early March. The team, understandably, took things slow with his recovery to avoid any setbacks.
Forearm issues tend to lead to more serious ailments, including ligament damage that often leads to Tommy John surgery. Fortunately for Cleveland, that wasn’t the case with Gaddis, and the bullpen star is actually pitching in rehab games already.
After making a rehab appearance on Saturday, Gaddis took the ball again on Tuesday, and the results were encouraging.
“Another solid rehab outing for Hunter Gaddis. 13P-9 Strikes. Hit and a K. Topped out at 94. Threw more changeups this time, too, and got his K on it. Another step in the right direction,” Guardians analyst Justin Lada reported on X, with some footage of the relief appearance.
Another solid rehab outing for Hunter Gaddis.
13P-9 Strikes. Hit and a K. Topped out at 94. Threw more changeups this time too and got his K on it. Another step in the right direction. pic.twitter.com/DaWjFQmppJ
— Justin L. (jlbaseball on bluesky) (@JL_Baseball) April 1, 2026
Last year, Gaddis averaged 94.7 mph with his four-seamer and finished the year with a 3.11 ERA. In 2024, he was even better, posting a 1.57 ERA while averaging 95.4 mph with his heater.
It appears that, at least to some degree, Gaddis’ ERA is directly correlated to his fastball velocity. In that case, Tuesday’s outing is highly promising for his 2026 prospects because he is not far off his average velo.
When healthy, Gaddis is usually the eighth-inning guy in Cleveland, serving as a bridge to closer Cade Smith. The Guardians bullpen has been getting the job done for the most part, but having him back would represent a huge boost.
The team likely wants to see him pitch consecutive outings without reporting any issues before bringing him back up, but he is certainly getting closer every day.
With Gaddis, Smith, Erik Sabrowski, free agent signing Shawn Armstrong, Tim Herrin, Matt Festa, and Rule 5 draft pick Peyton Pallette, Cleveland certainly has a strong bullpen core to build around.
NEXT: Guardians Fall To Dodgers As Offense Struggles Again
