Merryweather (1-1) allowed one run on three hits and a walk over an inning of relief to take the loss Monday against the Guardians. He struck out one.
Merryweather worked a quick seventh inning but he couldn't keep things going in the eighth, when he allowed three straight hits to start the frame, with the final one bringing in the go-ahead run before he got the hook. The righty missed most of this season with a rib stress fracture, as this was just his 10th appearance of the year. Merryweather was much more heavily used in 2023, when he posted a 3.38 ERA and 98 strikeouts across 72 innings out of the bullpen. If the 32-year-old is healthy heading into next season, he should be able to secure a middle-relief role again for the Cubs or another team based on his ability to miss bats.