The Cleveland Guardians are on a roll, winning 21 of their last 30 games and getting back the top spot of the AL Central in the process. With an 82-75 record, they are one game ahead of the Chicago White Sox as of Wednesday afternoon.
Actually, the Guardians can potentially clinch a spot in the postseason on Wednesday with a win combined with a Texas Rangers or Houston Astros loss. Well, their bullpen will get some much-needed reinforcements ahead of their game against the Boston Red Sox.
The team announced that right-hander Shawn Armstrong has been activated from the 60-day injured list after recovering from a left calf strain suffered in late July. To make room on the roster for the veteran reliever, they are designating Connor Brogdon for assignment.
A move before today's game in Boston.#GuardsBall | #StandGuard pic.twitter.com/1OP1DPQGWv
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) September 23, 2026
Brogdon didn’t last long on the roster, as he was just called up ten days ago. He pitched just one game in his most recent MLB stint, on September 14, tossing 0.2 scoreless innings with a strikeout.
The 31-year-old will likely go through waivers now. There’s a chance that, if he goes unclaimed, he returns to the Guardians’ minor leagues.
As for Armstrong, he was the Guardians’ big free agent signing in the offseason. The team inked him to a one-year deal worth $5.5 million after the 36-year-old posted a 2.31 ERA last season with the Texas Rangers.
This year, he had a 4.91 ERA in 33 innings of work with the Guardians before going down with the calf injury on July 24. He was initially placed on the 15-day injured list, but was transferred to the 60-day one on August 3.
The bullpen is one of Cleveland’s strongest units, but a healthy Armstrong definitely belongs amongst their best relievers. His experience comes in handy as a complement to young, powerful arms such as Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Erik Sabrowski, and Daniel Espino.
He has some work to do to impress manager Stephen Vogt in the final few days of the regular season and convince him that he deserves a spot on the playoff roster, should the Guardians end up punching their ticket.
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