The Cleveland Guardians have called up Tanner Bibee, one of their top pitching prospects, to make his major league debut against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. This comes after injuries to Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale have forced the Guardians to turn to their minor league prospects sooner than expected.
Bibee, a 24-year-old right-hander, was Cleveland’s fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft and has pitched at two levels in the minors last season. He was rated as the No. 93 overall prospect in the game by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. Bibee has made 28 minor league starts, going 10-2 with a 2.13 ERA with 186 strikeouts over 148 innings. He was 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Columbus this season.
Bibee follows Logan Allen and Peyton Battenfield as the third starting pitcher to make his debut for the Guardians this season. Rookie Hunter Gaddis has also made four starts. Allen, who allowed a run and struck out eight over six innings on Sunday against Miami, is scheduled to start again Sunday in Boston.
Although the Guardians are 11-13, they have lost seven of their last nine games, including two straight to the Rockies, who have the worst record in the NL. Bibee’s debut could provide a much-needed boost to the team.
Left-hander Konnor Pilkington was designated for assignment to make room for Bibee on the roster.
It is hoped that McKenzie and Civale will be able to return to the team in late May, with McKenzie throwing in the bullpen as early as this weekend. In the meantime, the Guardians will be looking to their minor league prospects to step up and make a difference. With Bibee’s impressive minor league record, there is reason to be optimistic about his debut and his future with the team.
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