Cleveland Indians Activate Tommy Hunter; Designate Ross Detwiler

Cleveland Indians Activate Tommy Hunter; Designate Ross Detwiler

The Cleveland Indians have activated right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter from the 15-day disabled list before tonight’s game in Philadelphia.

I speculated earlier today that Hunter could be close to joining the Indians. He pitched very well on his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers allowing just one run on seven hits and no walks in nine innings of work. Hunter will join and Indians’ bullpen that has really struggled in the early going. In 59 1/3 innings this year, the Tribe’s bullpen has a 4.10 ERA and -0.4 fWAR (Fangraphs’ version of Wins Above Replacement). That ERA ranks them the third-worst in the American League ahead of only the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros while their fWAR ranks second-worst (Rangers, -0.9). 

More from Away Back Gone

• Cleveland Guardians tantalizingly close to locking up AL Central tiebreakers
• Cleveland Guardians: Terry Francona becomes meme in profanity-laced ejection
• Say goodbye to defensive shifts and hello to bigger bases, pitch clock in 2023
• Cleveland Guardians: Shane Bieber second-fastest to 800 strikeouts in major-league history
• The next week will make or break the Cleveland Guardians’ season

Hunter should hopefully help as he’s shown over the last few years that he’s more than capable of being a solid reliever. 2013 and 2014, his first two seasons as a reliever, were particularly good as he posted sub-3.0 ERAs both years sub-2.0 walk rates.  He got off to a solid start again in 2015 with the Baltimore Orioles though struggled after being traded mid-season to the Chicago Cubs. Hunter also has some playoff experience pitching out of the bullpen for the Orioles in both 2012 and 2014 while also starting three games for the Texas Rangers in the 2010 playoffs (including a World Series game).

To make room on the 25-man roster the Indians designated left-handed reliever Ross Detwiler for assignment. Detwiler was the Tribe’s lone lefty in the bullpen for much of the season, but he had his issues. In seven appearances and 4 2/3 innings, Detwiler has a 5.79 ERA, 7.18 FIP and has walked more batters than he’s struck out (4 BB, 3 K).  Batters did only hit .176 off him but one of the three hits he allowed left the yard, and he’s a pitcher that manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway just never fully trusted.

Next: Indians Option Anderson; Recall Crockett

Detwiler was originally a non-roster invitee this winter but made the club out of spring training over the likes of Giovanni Soto, Kyle Crockett, Joe Thatcher, and Tom Gorzelanny. Soto was designated for assignment and is now with the Chicago Cubs while Crockett was optioned to Triple-A Columbus but is now back with the big league club as the only remaining lefty on the roster.  If Detwiler clears waivers he could report to Triple-A and give the Tribe some depth along with Gorzelanny or he could opt to test the open market (like Thatcher did). Either way losing Detwiler doesn’t seem like much of a loss. His departure from the roster leaves the Tribe’s 40-man roster at 39 for the time being.