The guards announced that Gavin Williams was placed back on the 60-day disabled list, after the right fielder sat out the rest of the season with an elbow strain. Williams will replace fellow righty in the rotation Triston McKenzie, optioned to Triple-A Columbus. To make room for Williams on the 40-man roster, Cleveland designated the right-hander Darren McCaughan by share.
While Cleveland has long been known for its starting pitching, the rotation has been an incredibly weak link for first-place relievers, and McKenzie’s 5.11 ERA in 75 2/3 innings has contributed to those struggles. McKenzie leads the majors in both home runs (19) and walks (49), and his -1.0 fWAR is the lowest of any pitcher in baseball with at least 70 innings pitched. Logan Allen is second on that list with -0.5 fWAR and Carlos Carrasco is sixth with 0.1 fWAR, speaking to the rotation issues of both.
Some rust was expected from McKenzie, considering he missed nearly the entire 2023 season recovering from a teres major and then a right UCL sprain. However, his struggles have been so bad that staying in Triple-A would be the best course for McKenzie to regain his confidence, and solve the control issues that were not so severe in his 2020-22 season. The former 100 looked like a solid hitter in those first big years in the Showcase, and with him only 26 and still under arbitration control in 2026, scouts would naturally like to see McKenzie get his career back on track.
It’s hardly a silver lining, but Williams’ situation gave the Rangers an opportunity to select McKenzie, as Williams represents a ready-made replacement. Since his rehab started on May 29, the Rangers were supposed to activate Williams this weekend, as his rehab window is about to expire. After his elbow began to give him problems during Spring Training, Williams began the season in the IL and gradually extended his career over six minor league outings.
Selected 23rd overall in the 2021 draft, Williams quickly launched his senior career with an impressive rookie season in 2023. The right-hander posted a 3.29 ERA over 82 innings, though a 4.61 SIERA reflected Williams’ middling secondary metrics, too. such as a .270 BABIP and 78.3% save percentage.
If Williams can deliver something between his 2023 ERA and SIERA in his return to the mound, the Rangers will likely be satisfied, given their need for any kind of reliable hitting and the big-picture acknowledgment that Williams is just starting to succeed. the work of a pro. With Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively the only reliable members of Cleveland’s rotation, the Rangers would like to get at least a decent performance from Williams as a third option before seeing if any help is needed at the deadline.
More to come…
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