The Cleveland Guardians desperately needed Emmanuel Clase to go back to his old ways.
Once considered to be the best closer in all of baseball, the Dominican superstar struggled mightily to start the season.
Some pointed out his shoulder injury as one of the main reasons behind his woes, but it also seemed like he had lost some of his confidence.
Fortunately, it seems like he’s finally getting his groove back.
As reported by Bruce Drennan, Clase has been on an absolute roll lately.
In the latest edition of his show, he shared some interesting numbers about Clase:
“Emmanuel Clase continues to excel in the month of May. After a rough April where some were concerned about him, he since has posted a 1.13 ERA in 8 innings of work, striking out 10, and he’s 5-of-5 in save situations,” Drennan said.
Emmanuel Clase is heating up in May! After a slow start, the STAR #Guardians closer has been on fire. #GuardsBall
"After a rough April where some were concerned about him, he since has posted a 1.13 ERA in 8 innings of work." pic.twitter.com/vsRmnlRk8P
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) May 18, 2025
The Guardians gave Clase some time to heal and get back to full strength.
He was dealing with a swollen shoulder, and after blowing a save to the Pittsburgh Steelers on April 20, they thought it made more sense to keep him on the shelf for a while.
He was out for six days before taking the mound again, retiring all three hitters he faced with two strikeouts to set up Cade Smith to get the save.
His velocity and command seem to be back after that.
As of now, he’s 4-0 with a 4.74 ERA this season, which is most definitely not what the team expected from him.
The Guardians don’t boast plenty of firepower, and they will rely heavily on their bullpen to get the job done this season.
Smith is more than capable of handling closer duties, but having Clase back to his usual self will be a massive boost for Stephen Vogt’s team.
NEXT: Analyst Notes Brutal Upcoming Schedule For Guardians
