Cleveland sends out Joey Cantillo, who has quietly turned Progressive Field into his personal pitcher's park — a 2.87 ERA across 3 home starts so far this season. He's coming off 5 innings of 1-run ball in a 3-1 win at Kansas City, and the Guardians are riding that vibe into a 9-game homestand they really need to cash in on.
The Angels counter with Brent Suter, the soft-tossing lefty working as more of an opener/bulk-innings guy than a true starter. With Yusei Kikuchi shut down for 3-4 weeks and Grayson Rodriguez still on a rehab assignment, the rotation behind Suter is basically held together with tape and prayers. Expect a heavy bullpen night for Los Angeles.
- 10-Day-ILLogan O'Hoppe C — O'Hoppe (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League on Monday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILTravis d'Arnaud C — The Angels placed d'Arnaud on the 10-day injured list Friday with right foot plantar fasciitis.
- 15-Day-ILGrayson Rodriguez SP — Rodriguez (shoulder) tossed 4.2 innings in a rehab start with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, allowing two runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out 11 batters.
- 15-Day-ILBen Joyce RP — Joyce (shoulder) is slated to make a fifth rehab appearance Sunday with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
- 15-Day-ILRyan Johnson SP — Johnson (hamstring) completed five innings in a rehab outing with Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, allowing three runs on six hits and no walks while striking out five batters.
- 15-Day-ILYusei Kikuchi SP — Kikuchi (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for 3-to-4 weeks, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILRobert Stephenson RP — The Angels announced that Stephenson underwent ligament and flexor repair surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILAnthony Rendon 3B — The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
- Day-To-DayCarlos Hernandez RP — Hernandez (shoulder) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
- 10-Day-ILGabriel Arias SS — no
- 15-Day-ILAndrew Walters RP — Walters (lat) was returned from his rehab assignment due to a viral illness, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILShawn Armstrong RP — Armstrong (groin) threw a bullpen session Friday, MLB.com reports.
There is one Angels bat worth watching: Jo Adell just torched the Blue Jays for a 3-hit, 2-homer day on Sunday, including a 449-foot bomb that gave him 6 on the year. If Cantillo's changeup isn't right, Adell is the guy in this lineup most likely to make him pay.
The market is doing exactly what you'd expect with a 16-25 road team and a banged-up pitching staff: Cleveland is the favorite, the total sits at 7.5, and the public is piling on the Guardians. The EV numbers across the board aren't doing anyone any favors — none of the main markets grade out as a value play, so if you're betting this, it's a lean, not a hammer.
Bottom line: Cleveland at home with the more stable starter against a team using a bullpen game and missing 2 catchers, its 3B, and half its rotation. It's the kind of spot the Guardians need to bank if they want to keep that AL Central lead from slipping.