The Guardians placed right-hander on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The move is retroactive to July 12, and a corresponding transaction has not yet been announced by the club. Its not clear how long Sewald is expected to be out. Its the second time this season that the 35-year-old Sewald has been placed on the injured list due to a strain in his throwing shoulder. The former D-backs and Mariners closer in free agency and struggled for much of April before heading to the IL for what would wind up being a stay of more than two months. Sewald was only reinstated from the injured list on July 5, but it seems his return will only last for a week. In his limited time with the Guardians, Sewald has pitched to a 4.70 ERA with terrific strikeout and walk rates of 29% and 6.5%, respectively. Thats all come in a sample of just 15 1/3 innings. Sewald allowed eight runs in 11 2/3 innings prior to his original IL stint (6.17 ERA) and returned with 3 2/3 shutout frames before now heading back to the 15-day IL. Hes been more homer-prone than usual in that small sample (1.76 HR/9) and has seen his fastball velocity dip from an average of J.b. Wendelken Jersey 91.4 mph last year to just 90.3 mph this season. Sewald has never thrown particularly hard, but his velocity has been in a steady decline in recent seasons. He averaged a career-best 92.5 mph in 2022 but dipped to 92.2 mph, 91.4 mph and 90.3 mph in subsequent seasons. His swinging-strike rate has dropped accordingly in each season, though hes still managed to continue posting strong strikeout rates. Sewalds placement on the injured list just over two weeks before the trade deadline is increasingly notable, given his teams recent slide in the standings. The Guardians dropped 10 straight games from June 27 through July 6, though they le sened some of that sting by closing out the first half with six wins in seven games. Theyre now three games under .500 and four and a half games out of the final Wild Card spot in the American League. Cleveland will open the second half with winnable series against the As, Orioles, Royals and Rockies all of whom have records that are comparable to or worse than the Guardians own mark of 46-49. If the Guards slip further down the standings, theyd be increasingly likely to listen to offers on short-term veterans like Sewald. If hes facing a notable absence, that scenario is off the table. Conversely, if the Guardians slice through that slate of opponents in the two weeks between now and the trade deadline, theyd presumably be more apt to add to the club, and Sewalds absence could increase the front offices desire to add to the bullpen. Evan Longoria Jersey
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