Cleveland Guardians trade acquisition Slade Cecconi won’t be on the Opening Day roster.
He hadn’t made a strong case to be included with his performance, but the right-hander is injured and won’t be ready in time.
“Slade Cecconi has a mild left oblique strain. He has begun a return-to-throw program but will be sidelined for Opening Day,” Tim Stebbins of MLB.com wrote on X.
Slade Cecconi has a mild left oblique strain. He has begun a return-to-throw program but will be sidelined for Opening Day.
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) March 18, 2025
The good news is that it isn’t a severe strain, which can be hard to overcome, especially for pitchers and their big range of movement.
However, this one is mild and Cecconi is already back to throwing.
The expectation is that he won’t be sidelined much beyond Opening Day, but it will all depend on how he recovers.
Cecconi came to Cleveland from the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Josh Naylor trade this offseason.
The Guardians love his stuff and extension despite his 6.66 ERA with the Diamondbacks last year.
At 25 years old, Cecconi is a project for Cleveland.
He could contribute as a starter but could be useful as a multi-inning weapon out of the bullpen.
Prior to his injury, Cecconi had thrown 5.1 innings in the Cactus League, with a 16.88 ERA.
The first step will be getting healthy enough to return to the mound.
Then, the Guardians will work to get him to feel comfortable with his delivery and mechanics.
After his arm is back in shape and he’s in a position to get MLB hitters out, he will be considered for a call-up.
For the time being, it’s worth noting that he has a minor league option remaining, so the Guardians can send him to Triple-A when he is healthy.
NEXT: Guardians Insider Takes Look At Rotation Picture
