Stephen Vogt is not the kind of manager who buries his players publicly. He also is not the kind of manager who pretends problems do not exist. After Sunday’s 10-0 loss to the Texas Rangers, Vogt addressed Joey Cantillo’s struggles and made clear that the next steps are already in motion.
Cantillo was roughed up for seven runs on nine hits across five innings, surrendering three home runs in one of the worst starts of his career. It was the third consecutive shaky outing in a stretch that has produced a 12.27 ERA and raised legitimate questions about whether the left-hander can hold his spot in the rotation without an adjustment.
“I think it’s been three pretty shaky starts in a row. We gotta get to work. Joey’s a hard worker. I know he’s gonna dive in with the pitching group, and we’re gonna try and find some answers, but we see it in him. You know, he had a couple of really, really good innings, and so you see that it’s in there. We just have to help Joey find that consistency. Because when he’s consistent, we’ve seen what he can do, gives us a chance to win more often than not,” Vogt said.
#Guardians manager Stephen Vogt on Joey Cantillo's recent bumps on the mound:
"I think it's been three pretty shaky starts in a row. We gotta get to work. Joey's a hard worker. I know he's gonna dive in with the pitching group, and we're gonna try and find some answers, but we…
— Cade Cracas (@CracasCade) June 7, 2026
Cleveland has used only five starters all season long, with Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Parker Messick, Slade Cecconi, and Cantillo taking the ball in every rotation turn through 67 games. That continuity has been a source of strength for a pitching staff that ranks among the better ones in the American League. But if Cantillo cannot work deeper into games and stop giving up home runs at the rate he has over the last three weeks, the front office will face pressure to find reinforcements before the situation costs the Guardians games they cannot afford to lose in a tight division race.
Cantillo entered Sunday having allowed just eight home runs across 62 innings on the season. He gave up three in five innings against Texas. The sudden spike in hard contact suggests either a mechanical issue, a tipping problem, or an approach issue that opposing scouts have identified and communicated to their hitters. Whatever the root cause, Vogt made clear the pitching group will be working to diagnose and fix it immediately.
Vogt has seen enough to believe Cantillo can find his way back. The next few starts will determine whether that belief is rewarded.
NEXT: Guardians Drop Series Finale To Rangers 10-0 As Joey Cantillo Struggles
