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One Guardians Injury May Have Mattered More Than Anyone Realized

The Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen carried a massive load this October, and by the end of the American League Championship Series, the strain was easy to see. Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis, who had been nearly untouchable for most of the…

Published: Wednesday, 21 October 2026 at 12:01 PM
One Guardians Injury May Have Mattered More Than Anyone Realized
Key Things to Know
  • Writer Jimmy Swartz highlights that Colin Holderman's wrist injury and postseason absence heavily strained the Cleveland Guardians' bullpen.
  • Holderman missed the entire postseason following surgery on his right wrist on October 14.
  • The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 to eliminate Cleveland from the ALCS.
The Story in 60 Seconds

Jimmy Swartz writes that reliever Colin Holderman's injury significantly impacted the Cleveland Guardians during their postseason run. Holderman was sidelined for the entire postseason due to right wrist tendinitis that required surgery on October 14. In his absence, Cleveland's bullpen showed heavy strain during the ALCS, culminating in a 7-3 Game 6 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

MLB.com's Tim Stebbins noted that Holderman could have altered the bullpen workload for manager Stephen Vogt. During the regular season, Holderman recorded a 2.73 ERA across 54 appearances and allowed only one home run. His absence forced Vogt to rely heavily on key arms like Cade Smith and Hunter Gaddis.

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