Player News
-
McKenzie signed a minor-league contract with the Padres on Thursday that includes an invitation to spring training, Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com reports McKenzie gave up seven earned runs over 5.2 innings with the Guardians this past season before being outrighted to the minor leagues in late April. His performance didn't improve following his demotion, as he turned in a 7.40 ERA and 2.13 WHIP over 20.2 frames split between rookie ball and Triple-A. He'll now attempt to revive his career with the Padres, but he will likely have to prove he can handle minor-league hitters again before getting a shot with the big club.
-
McKenzie (illness) was transferred to Triple-A Columbus on Sunday and pitched in relief in the team's 7-5 loss to Toledo, working around two walks and one hit in a scoreless inning. In an effort to have McKenzie work through his control issues in a low-pressure environment, the Guardians assigned the right-hander to the rookie-level Arizona Complex League on May 14, a few weeks after he was outrighted off the 40-man roster. McKenzie had struggled to a 7.24 ERA and 1.68 WHIP in 13.2 innings over seven appearances in the ACL before exiting his most recent appearance June 28 due to an illness, but after addressing his mechanics behind the scenes over the past several weeks, he was cleared to join the Guardians' top affiliate. Though he came through with a scoreless frame Sunday in his return to game action, McKenzie's control problems lingered. He spotted just 15 of his 28 pitches for strikes and also threw a wild pitch.
-
McKenzie was removed from Saturday's start in the Arizona Complex League after two-thirds of an inning due to illness, SI.com reports. McKenzie has been with the Guardian's rookie-level squad since the end of May, and he's struggled to a 6.75 ERA in six appearances. He couldn't improve upon his stats Saturday, getting lifted after two-thirds of an inning due to the ailment. The 27-year-old should be considered day-to-day.
-
The Guardians outrighted McKenzie to Triple-A Columbus on Monday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports. It's a bit of a surprise there wasn't another organization willing to take a chance on getting McKenzie to rediscover his old form. As it is, the right-hander has accepted an outright assignment and will likely be inserted into the rotation at Columbus.
-
The Guardians designated McKenzie for assignment Monday. McKenzie has struggled in a mop-up role this season, allowing seven runs with a 4:7 K:BB over 5.2 innings. The 27-year-old holds just a 5.46 ERA, 21.2 percent strikeout rate and 15.6 percent walk rate since the start of the 2023 campaign and has dealt with arm issues during that stretch. McKenzie comes with team control through 2027, but his lack of minor-league options is likely to hurt his appeal on waivers.
Recent Tweets
Stats
| Year | Team | APP | GS | INN | W | L | S | K | BBI | HA | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | CLE | 4 | 0 | 5.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 11.1 | 2.47 |
| 2024 | CLE | 16 | 16 | 75.7 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 74 | 49 | 69 | 5.11 | 1.55 |
Last 7 Games
| DATE | Opp | W | L | S | INN | HA | ERA | BBI | K | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/16 | @  |
- | - | - | 1.0 | 3 | 12.60 | 1 | 0 | 4.00 |
| 4/11 | vs  |
- | - | - | 1.0 | 0 | 6.75 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 |
| 4/05 | @  |
- | - | - | 1.2 | 3 | 9.00 | 4 | 3 | 4.20 |
| 3/31 | @  |
- | - | - | 2.0 | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 1 | 1.00 |
Upcoming Games
| date | Opp | time | Scheduled Starter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/26 | @  |
10:10 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/27 | @ |
9:40 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/28 | @ |
9:40 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/29 | @ |
4:10 PM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/30 | @  |
12:00 AM | Not Announced Yet |
| 3/31 | @ |
12:00 AM | Not Announced Yet |
| 4/01 | @ |
12:00 AM | Not Announced Yet |