Not only did the Cleveland Guardians lose their third straight game in Friday night’s opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, but they may have lost a key reliever to injury.
After a mediocre appearance, Shawn Armstrong had to be helped down the stairs of the Guardians dugout after exiting the game. It didn’t look good.
The team confirmed that the right-hander is dealing with a calf injury. Losing him for an extended period would be a blow for a bullpen that already needs an arm or two before the upcoming MLB trade deadline.
“The Guardians say Shawn Armstrong has a left calf strain and will have imaging done likely tomorrow,” Mason Horodyski of News 5 Cleveland posted.
The #Guardians say Shawn Armstrong has a left calf strain and will have imaging done likely tomorrow #GuardsBall x @WEWS https://t.co/0JKgCu6mNv
— Mason Horodyski (@MasonHorodyski) July 25, 2026
The Guardians should update Armstrong’s status on Saturday, but this has the look of an injured list stint. It wouldn’t be the first of the year for the $5.5-million reliever, who missed about three weeks in late April and May with a groin problem.
The pending MRI will determine the severity of the strain, but the team is bracing for the worst, judging by how the injury looked. A severe strain has the potential to knock Armstrong out for the season, but the wisest thing to do before speculating would be to wait for official word from the organization.
It’s safe to say that Armstrong’s first season in Cleveland hasn’t gone the way he wanted, with two injuries and inconsistency on the mound. After struggling Friday night, the veteran has a 4.91 ERA in 33 innings, with 19 walks and 33 strikeouts. His control often comes and goes, and his effectiveness has suffered as a result.
The Guardians’ bullpen, if Armstrong has to be placed on the injured list, is now an even more pressing area of need on the roster. The top guys like Cade Smith and Colin Holderman are working a lot these days because of the lack of reliable alternatives.
The organization has the necessary pieces to make things happen at the Aug. 3 deadline, and even though they aren’t expected to move for top reliever Mason Miller, there are plenty of useful pieces to be had.
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