Two left-handers will pitch Friday in split-squad games as Cleveland begins Cactus League play against the Reds and Brewers in Arizona.
Lefty Joey Cantillo will start one of the Guardians' split-squad games on Friday to open the Cactus League season.GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Lefties Joey Cantillo and Logan Allen will be the starting pitchers when the Guardians open the spring-training season Friday with split-squad games against the Reds and Brewers.
Guardians home opener tickets: Grab cheapest seats vs. Cubs April 3 Roosters and rocks: The shocking code language authorities say Emmanuel Clase used in pitch-rigging scheme Cantillo and Allen are two of the pitchers competing for a spot in the starting rotation. The Guardians currently have six starters for five spots. Allen is getting Friday’s start because he’s pitching for Panama in the World Baseball Classic. Panama opens play in the WBC on March 6 in Puerto Rico. Vogt said they want to have Allen ready to throw at least 60 pitches before he leaves camp and Friday’s start will help him reach that goal. Cantillo, according to Vogt, earned Friday’s start “because he’s been here longer than anyone.”He made the Guardians’ Opening Day roster as a reliever.He was recalled on July 3 to join the rotation after Luis Ortiz was placed on non-disciplinary leave and later indicted for throwing fixed pitches in games. After making 13 starts, Cantillo was optioned to Triple-A again so the Guardians could take a look at lefty Parker Messick. When the roster was expanded on Sept. 1, he was recalled and rejoined the rotation as the sixth starter. In that role, he went 2-0 with a 1.55 ERA in his final five starts and was named AL Rookie of the Month. “All the way to Game 3 of the wild card series, the game plan was, ‘How do we get the game to Joey,’” said Vogt. “If you look at that journey across 2025, to handle all those things and never complain or argue. We got to see what Joey Cantillo can be as a starter in this league and it was really exciting for him and us.”“It looks like a fastball,” said Vogt. “There’s no way to pick it up. A lot of hitters sit on the changeup and now the fastball is by them. “I like to call his changeup a stop ball. It looks like the ball just stops in midair and drops. It’s definitely one of the better changeups in our game.”Vogt said Travis Bazzana and Stuart Fairchild are going to be busy during the early part of the Cactus League season to get ready for the WBC. Bazzana is playing for Australia and Fairchild for Chinese Taipei.“Bazzana and Fairchild are going to play quite a bit before they leave,” said Vogt. “We need to get their innings ramped up.” The Guardians used the No.1 pick in the 2024 draft to select Bazzana. Fairchild is a spring-training invitee, who spent last season with Atlanta.Switch-hitter Juan Brito, a natural second baseman, is getting work at first and third base in camp. Vogt said he may even play some right field. Brito is one of only 11 position players in camp who can hit right-handed, including six switch-hitters. On the 40-man roster, there are only four pure right-handed hitters: David Fry, Austin Hedges, Gabriel Arias and Johnathan Rodriguez ... Slade Cecconi and Daniel Espino were among the pitchers who threw to hitters on Monday ... José Ramírez is in camp. He was the last player to report.Paul Hoynes, born in Cleveland, has been the beat writer for the Indians/Guardians since 1983. He attended Cathedral Latin High School in Cleveland and received a journalism degree from Marquette University. He...
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