The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen just lost an important contributor. No, Shawn Armstrong wasn’t having his finest year, but the team gave him a $5.5 million salary in the offseason for a reason: the talent is there for him to make a difference.
Unfortunately, after leaving Friday’s game with a calf injury, the Guardians have placed him on the 15-day injured list. There weren’t more details available at the time of the update, so there’s still no word on how much time he will miss.
“Guardians’ Shawn Armstrong is headed to the 15-Day IL with a left calf strain. The team has recalled Will Dion from AAA Columbus,” Mason Horodyski, who covers the team for News 5 Cleveland, said on Saturday afternoon.
#Guardians Shawn Armstrong is headed to the 15-Day IL with a left calf strain. The team has recalled Will Dion from AAA Columbus#GuardsBall x @WEWS https://t.co/EhzkraEWNk
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) July 25, 2026
The right-hander had to be helped off on Friday night after what looked like a serious leg injury. Even a mild strain can keep him out of action for a few weeks, and this one, unfortunately, looked more serious.
📹 Shawn Armstrong exits the game with a leg injury pic.twitter.com/OO82HdZX62
— MLB Injury Bot (@MLBInjuryBot) July 25, 2026
Armstrong, the owner of a career 3.90 ERA in 454.1 innings, has posted a rather disappointing 4.91 ERA in 33 frames this year for the Guardians. The team gave him significant money to be one of their setup men after finishing the 2025 campaign with a 2.31 ERA while wearing the Texas Rangers’ uniform.
Left-hander Will Dion, who had left the roster and was on his way to Triple-A following Tim Herrin’s activation on Friday afternoon, has been called back up, this time to replace Armstrong. Despite a rather elevated 5.17 ERA in 15.2 MLB innings in 2026, his 3.81 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) suggests better days should be on the horizon for him.
Dion has shown how dominant he can be, with 20 strikeouts and just three walks over that sample. Because he posted a 3.62 ERA in Triple-A with an elite 2.02 FIP, we are talking about Dion being one or two adjustments away from taking off.
Armstrong’s injury, however, puts the team in an uncomfortable position. It virtually forces them to go to the trade market and acquire a high-leverage reliever: it doesn’t have to be Mason Miller or Aroldis Chapman, but there are plenty of other names who could make sense.
NEXT: Guardians Starter Will Begin Rehab Assignment In High-A
