Cleveland Guardians Pitcher to Miss Playoffs With Injury

With the American League Division Series starting on Saturday, Stephen Vogt and the rest of the coaching staff are narrowing down who will be on the Cleveland Guardians’ playoff roster.

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Cleveland has some tough roster choices to make, especially in the bullpen.

One player who definitely won’t be on the roster, though, is Colin Holderman.

In fact, Holderman won’t be an option for the Guardians no matter how far they go in the postseason, after the pitcher said on Thursday that he’s undergoing wrist surgery and won’t be back at all this year.

Cleveland placed Holderman on the injured list in early September with right wrist inflammation. He was shut down for a few days and then went out on a rehab assignment.

The hope was that Holderman could rest up and get healthy for a potential Guardians playoff push. Unfortunately, during one of the veteran’s rehab outings, he exited in the middle of an inning after experiencing some discomfort.

Vogt said the next day that this obviously wasn’t a good sign.

Context is important when looking at this injury, though. Holderman has dealt with right wrist pain for the last few years. It’s the same reason he only made 24 appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2025 season.

Jul 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Colin Holderman (35) reacts as he leaves the game during the sixth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

When Holderman is healthy, he can be a top bullpen option, and the 2026 campaign is proof of that.

Holderman was one of Cleveland’s top relief arms during the first half of the season. He logged a 1.78 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP, which even included a save, during his first 35 games of the year.

However, everything started to come crashing down for Holderman after the All-Star break and as the symptoms ramped up. In the 19 games between the Midsummer Classic and Holderman’s eventual trip to the injured list, he gave up nine earned runs in 17.1 innings (4.67 ERA).

With Holderman not an option in October, the Guardians will rely even more on Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski in the setup role for closer Cade Smith.

Even though Holderman won’t pitch for the Guaridans in the postseason, he’ll still be present in the locker room and in the dugout, doing whatever he can to support the team from the sidelines.

Other Guardians Playoff News:

Cleveland officially announced its pitching plan for the first two games of the ALDS. The Guardians will turn to the rookie Parker Messic for Game 1 and give Gavin Williams the ball in Game 2.

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