Guardians Move Shawn Armstrong To 60-Day Injured List

To create a 40-man roster spot for newly-acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe, the Guardians have moved Shawn Armstrong from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL. A left calf strain sent Armstrong to the 15-day IL on July 25, so the right-hander’s earliest possible activation date is September 23, when the Guards will be playing their fifth-last game on the regular-season schedule. The timing indicates that Armstrong’s season could potentially be over if he isn’t fully ready to go after the 60-day minimum. Cleveland could still activate Armstrong for another couple of appearances at the end of the schedule, and if the Guards perhaps have a playoff spot already clinched by that point, Armstrong might be used to eat some innings if the team wants to rest pitchers who are better candidates for a postseason roster. Beyond this scenario, there’s also the simple fact that Armstrong simply not be fully healed given how calf strains generally carry uncertain recovery timelines. Armstrong’s 36th birthday will come and go during his 60-day IL stint, and it’s a tough outcome for the righty in his 12th Major League season. After beginning his career with Cleveland in 2015-17, Armstrong returned to his original team last winter in the form of a one-year free agent deal worth a guaranteed $5.5MM ($4MM salary, $1.5MM buyout of an $8MM mutual option for 2027). The homecoming wasn’t going smoothly even before the calf strain, as Armstrong also missed about four weeks due to a groin strain. Armstrong posted a 4.91 ERA, 22.6% strikeout rate, and a 13% walk rate over 33 innings out of the Guardians bullpen. While Armstrong’s long career has been full of ups and downs, the lack of control has been the outlier, as Armstrong entered 2026 with only a 7.8% career walk rate. View Comments (1)