Left-hander Erik Sabrowski has been one of the most reliable pitchers in the American League. He has been an asset for the Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen, boasting one of the highest strikeout rates in the entire circuit at 47 percent.
Unfortunately for the team, Sabrowski went down with left elbow inflammation on May 25, and has been on the injured list ever since. An MRI showed no structural damage, which was a best-case scenario, but he is not quite ready to return to the active roster.
He is getting close, though. There was some good news to report late on Tuesday.
“Stephen Vogt said Erik Sabrowski threw a bullpen yesterday that went really well. He’s set to throw another in the coming days, and then they’ll figure out his next steps,” Guardians insider Tim Stebbins posted on X.
Stephen Vogt said Erik Sabrowski threw a bullpen yesterday that went really well. He's set to throw another in the coming days and then they'll figure out his next steps.
A rehab assignment would seem to not be far away.
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) June 9, 2026
Stebbins also said, although this is not quite official, that a rehab assignment would seem to not be far away for the talented left-hander. The Guardians could certainly use him in their late-inning mix.
The southpaw has posted a brilliant 1.71 ERA and a 1.87 Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in 21 frames so far in 2026, blossoming into one of the most trustworthy late-inning relievers in baseball. He does have a history of elbow issues, though.
When it was initially reported that he suffered elbow inflammation, everybody feared the worst. After all, he has undergone not one, but two Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgeries in his career, in 2018 and 2021.
Fans were already preparing for the worst, but the fact that there wasn’t any structural damage gave them hope. Now, a few weeks later, the power lefty is closing in on a rehab assignment.
Relievers usually don’t need a lengthy rehab stint because they don’t have to ramp up to 100 pitches like starters, so there’s a good chance we see Sabrowski on an MLB mound before the end of the month. It’s definitely far from a given, but it’s not impossible.
His impending return would be a huge boost for a bullpen that needs impact arms. And Sabrowski, with his strikeout prowess and run prevention excellence, certainly qualifies as such.
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