Hentges (shoulder) showed progress in his medical evaluation Wednesday, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Hentges has been out for a week already with left shoulder inflammation, but manager Terry Francona was encouraged by Wednesday's check-up. "It was really, really encouraging," Francona told mlb.com. "To the point that they're going to let him do dry work and stuff." A stint on the injured list hasn't been ruled out yet, but it doesn't appear Hentges will be out for long even if he misses the start of the season.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Battling shoulder inflammation
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Guardians manager Terry Francona said Wednesday that Hentges is dealing with left shoulder inflammation and will be re-evaluated on a week-to-week basis, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
Hentges was a strong performer for the Cleveland bullpen in 2023, finishing with a 2.32 ERA and 72:19 K:BB over 62 innings in 57 appearances. The Guardians should have a clearer idea regarding his availability for the start of the season within the next couple of issues, but it's not the most encouraging sign that he's being listed as week-to-week rather than day-to-day.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Picks up first save
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Hentges struck out two batters over 2.1 perfect innings and earned a save over Minnesota on Monday.
Hentges needed just 20 pitches to quickly retire all seven batters he faced in Monday's blowout win. The 26-year-old lefty has fired 10.2 consecutive scoreless frames while posting a 14:1 K:BB. He lowered his season ERA to 2.51 with a 66:17 K:BB through 52 appearances. Hentges saw his first saw chance of the year Monday and likely won't see many more down the stretch.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Tosses two hitless innings
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Hentges walked one and struck out one over two scoreless innings during Friday's 6-1 loss to the Mariners.
Hentges saw a 13.1-inning scoreless streak end Wednesday versus Baltimore, but he was right back at it Friday. The southpaw has impressed as a reliever this year, logging a 2.96 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 53:16 K:BB across 48.2 innings while adding a 3-2 record and two holds. Despite his development as a starter previously, it's unclear if he's in contention to stretch out late in the year after starters Zach Plesac (hand) and Aaron Civale (forearm) were placed on the injured list Friday. Cody Morris, who made his major-league debut as Friday's starter, also pitched two innings, surrendering three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Secures win in extra innings
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Hentges (3-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning with one strikeout to earn the win Monday over the Diamondbacks.
Hentges extended his scoreless streak to 5.2 innings over his last five appearances with the clean frame, and Amed Rosario hit a walkoff single for the win. After a rough stretch in late June and early July, Hentges appears to have gotten himself back on track. He owns a 3.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 41:14 K:BB in 38 innings as a middle reliever this year.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Falters again Wednesday
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Hentges (2-2) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in 1.2 innings, taking the loss Wednesday versus the White Sox.
Hentges was responsible for both runs the White Sox scored in the sixth inning, and the Guardians' offense couldn't get him off the hook. He's been scored upon in seven of his last eight outings, making his strong first two months of the season a distant memory. The southpaw now has a mediocre 4.18 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 36:14 K:BB across 32.1 innings this year. All but four of the 15 runs he's allowed this year have come in his last 7.1 frames.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Handed first loss
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Hentges (2-1) allowed a run on two hits and struck out one in one-third of an inning, taking the loss Friday versus the Royals.
Hentges gave up a double to Vinnie Pasquantino and a walkoff single to Michael Taylor. After allowing runs in three of his first 24 appearances, Hentges has given up eight runs in his last five innings across six outings. The southpaw has seen his ERA spike from 1.44 to 3.60 during this slump, and he owns a 1.13 WHIP and 34:11 K:BB in 30 innings overall. He's added one hold, but he'll likely remain in a low-leverage role until he can get back on track.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Notches win Tuesday
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Hentges (2-0) picked up the win in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader versus the Twins. He allowed a run on one hit and struck out two in one inning.
Hentges gave up a go-ahead solo home run to Carlos Correa in the top of the eighth inning, but the Guardians regained the lead in their half of the frame. This marked the second consecutive outing in which Hentges has given up a run, something he hadn't done all season. However, he's still sporting an impressive 2.33 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 31:7 K:BB in 27 innings. The southpaw's strong body of work could see him earn some high-leverage looks on a matchup basis, but he's picked up only one hold in 26 appearances.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Collects first win
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Hentges (1-0) walked one in a scoreless inning to earn the win Wednesday over the Twins.
Hentges pitched the eighth inning, and the Guardians rallied for four runs to take the lead in the ninth. He ended up with the win after Emmanuel Clase locked down the save. Through eight appearances in June, Hentges has allowed two runs, six hits and three walks with eight strikeouts. He's posted a stellar 1.50 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 27:5 K:BB with one hold in 24 innings overall.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Clean inning Saturday
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Hentges struck out one in a perfect inning in Saturday's 7-1 loss to the Dodgers.
Hentges was the Guardians' most effective pitcher Saturday. He's given up runs in only three of his 21 appearances this season, and he's allowed multiple runs only once. That shakes out to a 1.64 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 27:4 K:BB with one hold in 22 innings, though he's yet to get a real taste of high-leverage assignments despite the solid overall numbers. He's also posted a 2.54 FIP, which indicates he might experience a little regression, but it's not likely to be severe.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Logs first hold
Rotowire
Hentges walked two in one-third of a scoreless inning to earn a hold in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Orioles.
Hentges has seen limited usage, making just four appearances since May 13. He's covered just 2.1 innings in those outings. The usage is puzzling, as the southpaw has been solid with a 1.10 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 19:2 K:BB across 16.1 innings in 16 appearances. Hentges is likely ticketed for low-leverage work, and it seems unlikely he'd be an option as a potential spot starter given that he hasn't logged more than three outs in an appearance since May 4.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Extends scoreless streak
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Hentges threw a perfect inning in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the White Sox.
Over his last nine outings, Hentges threw 11.0 shutout innings, allowing just six hits and a walk. The southpaw continues to be stingy with baserunners, posting a 0.62 WHIP and a 17:1 K:BB across 13 innings this season. Hentges is still most likely to serve as a multi-inning option for now, but extended success could see him eventually be in position to pick up the occasional hold.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Working well out of bullpen
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Hentges allowed two hits and struck out three in two scoreless innings in Sunday's 10-2 loss to the Yankees.
This was Hentges' first appearance longer than an inning. He entered the game after Aaron Civale struggled through the first three innings. Hentges has put up a 1.42 ERA, 0.63 WHIP and 9:0 K:BB through 6.1 innings to begin the season. The southpaw will likely continue to be an option for bulk relief duties, so he probably won't interest most fantasy managers unless he pitches his way into the rotation.
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Guardians' Sam Hentges: Resuming relief role this season
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Hentges will begin the 2022 season in the bullpen, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
Not surprisingly, Hentges is on the outside looking in for a spot in the rotation. The southpaw struggled with a 6.68 ERA and 1.78 WHIP across 30 appearances last season, but he was more effective in relief than he was in his 12 starts. The 25-year-old should see mostly multi-inning assignments, and he could function as a piggyback to starters as they build up their pitch counts early in the season.
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Indians' Sam Hentges: Pitching well in relief
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Hentges has allowed two runs in 6.1 innings since transitioning to a bullpen role.
Hentges was at his best in Sunday's 11-1 win over the Yankees, striking out the side in the ninth inning to end the lopsided contest. The southpaw had little success as a starter this year, but he's been more effective in a low-leverage relief role. Overall, the 25-year-old has a 6.86 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 63:30 K:BB through 63 innings across 26 outings (12 starts).
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Indians' Sam Hentges: Moves to bullpen role
Rotowire
Hentges pitched a perfect inning in relief during Friday's 8-5 loss to Boston.
The southpaw last started Aug. 26, allowing four runs (two earned) versus Texas. Logan Allen took Hentges' regular turn through the rotation Wednesday, suggesting the latter isn't currently set for work as a starter. With Aaron Civale (finger) also nearing a return from the 60-day injured list, Hentges could either be ticketed for a move to the bullpen or a demotion to Triple-A Columbus -- given his 7.18 ERA, 1.91 WHIP and 54:30 K:BB through 57.2 innings this season, he could benefit from more work in the minors.
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Indians' Sam Hentges: Takes no-decision
Rotowire
Hentges allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits and a pair of walks while striking out three across four innings against the Rangers on Thursday. He did not factor into the decision.
It was another subpar performance for Hentges, who lasted only four innings for his second straight start. The 25-year-old just hasn't had the distance, pitching a maximum of five innings twice in 12 starts. Overall, Hentges has compiled a 7.31 ERA and 1.94 WHIP across 21 appearances. If he remains in the rotation, the southpaw tentatively aligns for a Wednesday start at Kansas City.
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Indians' Sam Hentges: Solid in no-decision
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Hentges didn't factor into the decision in Friday's 9-1 win over the Angels, allowing one run on three hits and a walk over four innings. He struck out two.
Cleveland's offense staked Hentges to a 5-0 lead through two innings, but the southpaw didn't have a long enough leash to qualify for a win as he got the hook after 61 pitches (41 strikes). It was still his longest outing since July 7, and he's been effective enough in his latest stint with the big club to retain a rotation spot, posting a 4.50 ERA and 7:3 K:BB through 10 innings over five appearances in August.
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Indians' Sam Hentges: Gives up three runs Saturday
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Hentges didn't factor into the decision Saturday against the Tigers after allowing three runs on four hits while fanning three across two innings.
Hentges once again struggled to pitch deep into the game but that shouldn't be much of a surprise, as he has pitched at least five complete frames just twice across his 19 outings this season. He also ended a streak of three straight appearances allowing one or fewer runs. The southpaw now owns a 6.00 ERA with a 2.00 WHIP across four appearances this month.
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Indians' Sam Hentges: Unsteady across two innings
Rotowire
Hentges allowed one run on four hits and a walk with one strikeout in two innings in a no-decision versus Cincinnati on Monday.
The southpaw gave up an RBI single to Joey Votto in the first inning, but Cleveland's offense made sure Hentges wouldn't take a loss in the bullpen game. The 25-year-old has a 7.71 ERA, 2.04 WHIP and 46:27 K:BB through 46.2 innings. It's unclear if he'll return to a bullpen role or remain in the rotation going forward -- if it's the latter, he lines up to start versus Detroit over the weekend. Either way, Hentges' performance suggests he's not likely to be much of an asset in fantasy.
