Earlier this month, Cleveland Guardians right-hander Hunter Gaddis, one of the most reliable setup men in baseball over the last two seasons, reported right forearm tightness. It happened after making his spring debut on February 27.
We are all used to thinking the worst when reading the words ‘right forearm tightness’ because, well, it is often a precursor of serious elbow ailments, such as UCL damage. Naturally, Guardians fans have been on alert since learning about Gaddis’ diagnosis.
The team sent the pitcher for tests and imaging, but the results came back negative. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that he won’t be ready in time and will miss Opening Day, as he is expected to be placed on the injured list. He is getting close, though.
Per team insider Mason Horodyski, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said on Monday that Gaddis is “progressing towards games”. However, the Guardians want “to be smart about this” when it comes to ramping him up after missing almost the entire month.
More from #Guardians Stephen Vogt on Hunter Gaddis, who is "progressing towards games".
However, the club wants "to be smart about this" when it comes to ramping him up after missing a chunk of spring#GuardsBall @WEWS https://t.co/QghwhOcTOB pic.twitter.com/fVdScuIJXC
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) March 23, 2026
Elbow injuries are no joke. Even tightness or soreness warrants the team’s entire attention. Fortunately for the Guardians, Gaddis appears to be healthy now, and his placement on the injured list to open the season is more about giving him more days to ramp up and prepare rather than him still feeling symptoms.
Cleveland is, understandably, being very careful with their prized reliever. He is expected to be a key cog in the bullpen, taking care of the seventh or eighth frame every time there is a narrow lead.
Gaddis had a 3.11 ERA last year, with 35 holds and three saves. He racked up 33 holds and a 1.57 ERA the year before.
Cade Smith, Shawn Armstrong, Matt Festa, Erik Sabrowski, and Tim Herrin are expected to handle most of the high-leverage work while Gaddis is gone. The expectation is that he doesn’t miss much more time beyond Opening Day, but he will need to face some hitters in a competitive environment before Vogt brings him back to the active roster.
He recently pitched in a minor league spring training game, but he could use a couple more outings before returning to the Guardians. The team needs and misses him, but he’s close.
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