On Saturday, the Cleveland Guardians beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 in their Cactus League game.
That game featured another so-so outing from Triston McKenzie and an impressive power showing by Cleveland that included four homers and a triple.
Angel Martinez, Jose Ramirez, Gabriel Arias, and Kyle Manzardo all went yard against the Guardians’ division rivals.
Saturday also represented the perfect platform for the return to play of one of the Guardians’ most important relievers for 2025 and beyond: Andrew Walters.
“Andrew Walters takes over the mound in the eighth. It’s his second Cactus League appearance and first since Feb. 24 after he dealt with some right shoulder stiffness,” Guardians insider Tim Stebbins posted on X.
Andrew Walters takes over the mound in the eighth. It's his second Cactus League appearance and first since Feb. 24 after he dealt with some right shoulder stiffness.
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) March 15, 2025
Every time one reads the words “shoulder injury” associated with a hard-throwing pitcher, it’s cause for concern.
However, Walters’ shoulder issues always appeared to be minor, and he was able to return on Saturday after missing roughly three weeks.
The missed time is surely not ideal for Walters’ preparation for the season, but if he bounces back well physically on Sunday, he could potentially resume his normal routine and be ready for Opening Day.
He still has some time to ramp up fully, reach his peak velocity, and refine his command before March 27.
Results-wise, Saturday’s outing wasn’t so good: he walked one, allowed one hit and one run in 0.2 innings.
He will have a few days to reach his best form, but there is work to do.
Walters, 24, posted a perfect ERA in 8.2 innings with Cleveland last year and dominated in the postseason, too.
He had delivered a fantastic 2.32 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 50.1 frames between Double-A and Triple-A before making the jump to the bigs.
The righty is a big piece in the Guardians’ bullpen, both this year and in the future.
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