Stephen Vogt Provides Injury Updates on Three Major League Contributors

Fortunately, the Cleveland Guardians haven't had to deal with many injuries to begin the 2026 campaign.

On Friday, May 8, before the Guardians were set to take on the Minnesota Twins in a series-opener, manager Stephen Vogt spoke to the team's three injured big-leaguers, providing an update on where each player was at in their recovery.

The three, who have a chance to make a significant impact on the ball club this season when they return, are relievers Andrew Walters and Shawn Armstrong, and infielder Gabriel Arias.

"Andrew's recovering from the illness still, but should be back, building back up now soon," Vogt began. "Armstrong, I believe, is throwing a bullpen today, and if that goes well, he'll go out on a rehab game."

He went on to specify that Arias' injury, specifically, is going to hold him out a bit longer. He recently suffered a setback in his rehabilitation process while the Guardians were on the road in Oakland and Kansas City.

"Gabby's [Gabriel Arias] going to be a little bit longer," Vogt said. "He had a little snag. So I'll get you a formal update at some point. But Gabby's rehab has definitely been slowed down."

Of the bunch, Arias' negative update stands out the most. He has been off the diamond since April 7, following a hamstring injury he suffered when running the base paths. Up until that point, he had actually been one of the team's better bats.

Across 30 at-bats, he was posting a .200 batting average with a .433 slugging percentage, with one double and two home runs. All three of his extra-base hits had come in the five games leading up to his injury.

When he returns, he will be competing for time against former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio, both of whom have proven that they deserve the starting jobs for now.

On the mound, both Walters and Armstrong are going to be in sticky situations.

Of the bodies in the bullpen right now, there aren't too many that the Guardians are likely keen on moving on from. Recent Triple-A call-up, Colin Holderman, was given the nod following Armstrong's injury, and since joining the big league roster for the second time this season, he has been lights out.

He is currently pitching to a 1.50 ERA and 0.67 WHIP across 12.0 innings. He has only allowed six hits and two walks, all while striking out 11 batters.

Cleveland could end up sending down Hunter Gaddis or Tim Herrin, who have both struggled as of late, to get their footing back.

Now, for Walters, he may end up staying down for a bit of time in Triple-A, even after his recovery is complete. He may be an end-of-season addition to the big league roster, or be called up when there are more inconsistencies present in the bullpen.

No matter what the front office and coaching staff decide to do, eventually getting those three back is going to be a big help for the team's depth.

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