With the final month of the MLB regular season beginning this week, the Cleveland Guardians are going to be in a tight AL Wild Card race with numerous other teams.
Five teams – the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Guardians – are separated by just 3.5 games in the race for the American League's final Wild Card spot.
Before the Guardians look to take on the Rays in their second of a four-game series on Friday, they announced unfortunate news on rookie bullpen pitcher Nic Enright.
Guardians place Nic Enright on 15-day injured list
Before their game against the Rays, the Guardians announced that they placed 28-year-old breakout pitcher Nic Enright on the 15-day injured list. The rookie discovered inflammation in his elbow and forearm, CBS Sports reported.
The injury was first noticed in his final outing on Aug. 27, when he pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one hit and striking out one. Just six days later, the rookie tested the arm again on Sept. 2, and it revealed some concerns after just 11 pitches.
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It's a tough break for both Enright and the Guardians. Since making his big league debut on May 25, Enright has appeared in 27 games for Cleveland this season, and his statistics include a 2-1 record, 2.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts in 31.0 innings.
With a significant injury like forearm and elbow inflammation, Enright's regular season is likely over. The Guardians would have to make a push for a postseason spot before the rookie would have a shot at being seen on the big league mound again in 2025.