Cleveland Guardians’ offseason acquisition Colin Holderman was a key member of their bullpen all year despite spending a short stint in the minors early in the season. He came back stronger than ever and made himself indispensable.
Unfortunately, a right wrist injury took him out of action in mid-August. As it turns out, it has been an on-and-off issue for him in the last four years, so he decided to finally put an end to his misery and go under the knife.
Even after making a rehab appearance last month, Holderman’s 2026 campaign is over. He won’t be available to help the Guardians for their postseason run that’s about to start on Saturday, but he made sure to leave them an inspiring message ahead of their clash against the Chicago White Sox.
“Colin Holderman said he’s going to have right wrist surgery and won’t make it back this season. The issue has impacted him for the past four years. He’s looking forward to watching the Guardians’ run: “We’re the team of destiny,” he said, per MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins.
Colin Holderman said he’s going to have right wrist surgery and won’t make it back this season. Issue has impacted him past four years.
He’s looking forward to watching the Guardians’ run: “We’re the team of destiny.”
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) October 1, 2026
The team of destiny. It’s sure a cool way to refer to the Guardians, and it might not be far from the truth. Of course, these things are usually subjective and based on feelings and ‘vibes’, but for a second consecutive campaign, Cleveland made a furious late-season run to capture the AL Central title. Maybe 2026 is the year. Who says that can’t be true?
They went 19-11 in their last 30 games and appear to be peaking at the right time. Their bullpen looks stronger than ever, even without the solid Holderman, owner of a 2.73 ERA in 54 appearances this season before going down. The rotation has two studs in Parker Messick and Gavin Williams, plus some depth, and the offense appears to be heating up.
The White Sox are no slouches, but the Guardians showed the world that they can beat them in a series a few weeks ago, from September 14-16.
As for Holderman, he is due about $2.5 million in arbitration, which is an affordable number for a team like Cleveland. Details about his recovery after the surgery aren’t available, so his potential return will be a wait-and-see situation.
He sure will be rooting for the Guardians, though. After all, it’s destiny.
NEXT: Parker Messick Is Thriving Despite One Major Pitching Disadvantage
