The Cleveland Guardians will be without two regular starting pitchers as they try to secure the AL Central title. Righties Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale are heading to the injured list, manager Terry Francona announced Friday, according to MLB.com. Righty Xzavion Curry and lefty Kirk McCarty will take their spots on the roster.
Civale is sidelined with right forearm inflammation, a rather common pitcher injury. Plesac, meanwhile, is out with a broken pitching hand. Francona said the Guardians believe the injured occurred when Plesac punched the mound after giving up a home run in his last start. Here's the video:
Plesac has a knack for unfortunate injuries. Last season, he missed more than a month after breaking his right thumb "aggressively ripping off his shirt." He was also disciplined by the team for violating COVID protocols in 2020 and later ranting about it in a since-deleted Instagram video.
The Guardians begin a three-game home series with the Seattle Mariners on Friday. They enter the day with a 68-61 record and a one-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central, and given the current wild-card standings, it's likely the AL Central runner-up will miss the postseason. Cleveland is about to begin a very important month without two regular starters.
Plesac, 27, is the nephew of longtime big leaguer Dan Plesac. He owns a 3-11 record despite a respectable 4.39 ERA in 23 starts this season. The 27-year-old Civale is 2-5 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 starts around glute and wrist injuries. The Guardians did not provide a timetable for either pitcher's return, though the injured list stint means they will each miss at least 15 days.
Righty Cody Morris will start in Plesac's place Friday and presumably take his rotation spot for the time being. Curry is expected to move into the rotation to replace Civale. Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill are Cleveland's other three starters.
