Guardians lose key reliever for season

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Cleveland Guardians have lost a key reliever for the year, one of their starters won't be ready for opening day, and a top pitching prospect is expected to miss his second full season in a row. Trevor Stephan, who was in line to set up All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase, will have ulnar collateral ligament reconstructive surgery within the next two weeks.Cleveland made that announcement Thursday, then later added that right-hander Gavin Williams will begin the season on the injured list. That all came a day after hard-throwing Daniel Espino had his second shoulder surgery since being a first-round draft pick in 2019.The Guardians are counting on Williams to build off a solid rookie season, but he won't have enough time to ramp up for the start of the season because of elbow discomfort after an awkward throw of a weighted ball last week. The 24-year-old went 3-5 with a 3.29 ERA in 16 starts last year.Stephan sought additional opinions and saw Drs. Keith Meister and Neal ElAttrache after a conservative approach in spring training didn't relieve discomfort in the 6-foot-5 pitcher's right elbow.The Guardians said in a release that the exams determined Stephan's UCL wasn't providing adequate stability, which resulted "in more stress to his bony anatomy."The 28-year-old Stephan was 7-7 with a 4.06 ERA in 71 appearances last year. He has pitched 195 2/3 innings over 180 games in his three big league seasons, going 16-13 with a 3.73 ERA and 232 strikeouts.Espino had surgery to address issues with his right shoulder and rotator cuff. The team had no timetable for his recovery, but doesn't expect him to pitch this season."This is just heartbreaking in a lot of ways," said Chris Antonetti, Cleveland's president of baseball operations. "There is not a person that could do any more than Daniel has, and every time he's faced an obstacle, he commits fully to the rehab process."The 23-year-old Espino last pitched four games at the Double-A level in 2022. He experienced shoulder soreness then while building back up after dealing with knee tendinitis, and later had his first shoulder surgery.