The Cleveland Guardians are making a minor change with Gavin Williams and the rest of their starting rotation.
There hasn't been a more consistent starting rotation in MLB this season in terms of availability than the Cleveland Guardians' group of five starters.
Even though the Guardians have largely had the same group, outside of a spot start by Logan Allen in a doubleheader, the order of those starters has shifted from time to time throughout the last few months.
The Guardians are making a slight change to the order of their rotation moving forward.
If Cleveland followed the same order as they've had coming out of the All-Star Break, it would be Slade Cecconi's turn to start on Sunday afternoon.
Instead, Cleveland's probable pitcher for the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks is Gavin Williams.
With the off day on Monday, Cecconi's next start is Tuesday against the New York Mets.
Manager Stephen Vogt said before Friday's series opener that, "we're always looking at the, you know, the rotation and how we want to line it up."
"Just when we looked at not only this weekend, but, you know, moving forward, it just made sense to have Gavin jump into that spot, kind of keep him on regular rest."
Jul 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (32) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn ImagesStarting pitchers are creatures of habit, and the Guardians shouldn't think about messing with Williams' current routine as it is.
Williams is in the middle of the best stretch of his big-league career and is currently on a historic stretch where he's struck out 11 or more batters in his last four starts. It makes sense to have him pitch on regular rest.
At the same time, pushing Cecconi back also gives him a couple of extra days, which might be exactly what the right-hander needs after a few rough outings. Over Slade's last three starts, he has a 7.94 ERA and a 2.05 WHIP in July.
Assuming Cecconi is the starting pitcher against the Mets on Tuesday, it would be a full week between starts.
Vogt did emphasize that this minor shakeup in the rotation is not just because of Cecconi, but is in the best interest of the team moving forward.
"It's about the whole the rotation as a whole," Cleveland's skipper said. "Keep Gavin in the groove and also, give Slade a couple extra days."
