The Cleveland Guardians lost against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, with a 4-1 score.
The game was close until the eighth inning, when Willi Castro socked a two-run home run off reliever Nick Sandlin.
It was a rare blip from an otherwise elite bullpen, but if we look closer, we see that Sandlin has struggled a lot for a few weeks now.
For the season, the right-handed reliever boasts a 3.98 ERA in 54.1 innings.
That’t not elite by any means, but it’s not bad per se.
The problem with Sandlin is that he has been extremely unreliable in September with a 6.75 ERA, and even for an extended period before that.
“Cleveland #Guardians RHP Nick Sandlin last 33 games: – 26.0(IP) 27H 17R 16ER 16BB 35SO 5.54 ERA. Sandlin has allowed 9 HR’s over the 26.0 innings,” Guardians Prospective posted on X.
Cleveland #Guardians RHP Nick Sandlin last 33 games:
– 26.0(IP) 27H 17R 16ER 16BB 35SO 5.54 ERA
Sandlin has allowed 9 HR's over the 26.0 innings.
— Guardians Prospective (@CleGuardPro) September 18, 2024
He has missed plenty of bats in those last 26 innings, but the ERA is unplayable.
Additionally, the home run issues are starting to become a problem, and he can’t be trusted in the bullpen to hold close, late leads.
If he wants to remain a part of baseball’s best and deepest bullpen, he will need to put it together.
If Sandlin continues to struggle, the organization has plenty of arms who could potentially replace him on the roster: James Karinchak once he completes his rehab, exciting rookie Franco Aleman, or even former starter Triston McKenzie.
The Guards will probably give Sandlin a few more days and games to turn things around.
However, with the playoffs looming, they can’t afford to have a struggling reliever on an MLB mound doing high-leverage work.
NEXT: Guardians Lose Against Twins But Can Still Clinch A Postseason Berth On Wednesday
