Slade Cecconi (3-5, 4.83) gets the ball for Cleveland against Robert Gasser (0-3, 6.38) at 6:40 PM CT. Cecconi was actually sharp last time out — 5 innings, 2 earned, 7 punchies against the Yankees — while Gasser got beat up by the Athletics for 6 earned in 5 on June 9. Two pitchers headed in opposite directions, which is the whole subplot here.
The bigger story is what Cleveland is missing. Jose Ramirez landed on the 10-day IL over the weekend with a left hamate fracture, and the Guardians lineup that already ranks 26th in MLB at 4 runs per game now has to function without the one bat that scares anybody. Angel Martinez (foot) and Chase DeLauter (ribs) are also banged up, so the bottom of the order gets even thinner.
- Day-To-DayAngel Martinez LF — Martinez (foot) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayChase DeLauter RF — DeLauter (ribs) is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Tigers, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
- Day-To-DayCarlos Hernandez RP — Hernandez (shoulder) began his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday.
- 10-Day-ILJose Ramirez 3B — Cleveland announced Saturday that Ramirez has a left hamate bone fracture, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILErik Sabrowski RP — Sabrowski (elbow) joined High-A Lake County on Sunday to begin a rehab assignment, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrandon Lockridge LF — Lockridge received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right knee Thursday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILColeman Crow SP — Crow said Sunday that an MRI on his right forearm revealed a mild flexor strain, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILDL Hall RP — Hall received an anti-inflammatory injection for his left pectoral strain Friday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILBrandon Woodruff SP — Woodruff (shoulder) is expected to make another minor-league rehab start Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJared Koenig RP — Koenig (elbow) transferred his rehab assignment to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday and could be activated from the injured list in about a week, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
- 15-Day-ILCarlos Rodriguez RP — The Brewers placed Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list Monday due to a right shoulder impingement, MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILLogan Henderson SP — Henderson received an injection in his back Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILRob Zastryzny RP — The Brewers reinstated Zastrzyny (shoulder/ribs) from the 60-day injured list Sunday.
Milwaukee, meanwhile, is rolling. The Brewers are 43-26, up 5 games in the NL Central, and just finished off Philadelphia with a 4-0 shutout on Sunday. The offense is averaging 5.4 runs per game — third in the sport — which is a brutal matchup for a Guardians team that scored a combined 0 runs in their last game against Detroit (a tied suspended game) and has been grinding out 2s and 3s for weeks.
The Brewers rotation has been held together with duct tape — Coleman Crow just hit the 15-day IL with a flexor strain, Brandon Woodruff is still on a rehab tour, Quinn Priester is on the 60-day, and the bullpen has lost DL Hall, Jared Koenig, and Brian Fitzpatrick. Gasser getting another shot is partly a vote of confidence and partly necessity. The Cleveland lineup without Ramirez is exactly the kind of group a struggling lefty can navigate, which is why this one isn't the lock the records suggest.
Cleveland needs Cecconi to do what he did against New York — pitch into the 6th, keep them in it, and hope someone in the middle of the order has a moment. Milwaukee just needs to be Milwaukee. The series opener tips a three-gamer at American Family Field.