The Cleveland Guardians have activated RHP Eli Morgan off the 15-day injured list and have designated minor league starter Zak Kent for assignment. This isn’t the only roster move that they have made. They also signed Matthew Boyd to an MLB contract as he remains on the path to recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Guardians Activate Eli Morgan, Designate Zak Kent https://t.co/wN2KcGI3B8 pic.twitter.com/N61unp52cL
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) June 29, 2024
Guardians Activate Eli Morgan from IL
In the 2021 season, Morgan made his debut as a starting pitcher. However, it is common for pitchers to change roles and transition from a starter to a reliever and vice versa. Morgan’s transition from starter to reliever has resulted in improved numbers. He has sported a 3.54 ERA across 145 innings for Cleveland. The most alluring stat he has recorded with the Guardians is a 1.64 ERA in 11 innings. But his strikeout rate is not what it used to be and has dropped from the 2022 season. But Morgan can revamp his strikeout rate as he has had to recover from his elbow injury. It was announced today that pitcher Jordan Romano underwent a setback with his elbow injury. Pitchers have been getting hurt in that area far too often this season. The then-Indians selected the 28-year-old Morgan in the eighth round of the 2017 MLB draft.
Kent Gets The Boot
In the 2019 draft, Kent was a ninth-round pick. This past March, Kent came to Cleveland from the Texas Rangers, in whose system he had spent his entire minor league career. He hasn’t pitched much with Triple-A Columbus, making only three starts. This was due to an elbow strain on April 14th this season. So the moves that the Guardians made today allowed them to place Kent on the 60-day IL. Kent has recorded some impressive stats in the minors with a 2.73 ERA across 66 innings. Unfortunately, over the past three seasons, injuries have gotten the best of him, impacting his playing time. They have also prevented him from making an actual MLB debut start. The 26-year-old has also spent time playing in the Fall League.
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