Will Dion gave the Cleveland Guardians exactly what they needed in his MLB debut.
The Cleveland Guardians bullpen is in a tough spot right now. They’re close to wrapping up a 13-game in 13 days stretch, but the reliever core has been heavily taxed over that stretch.
Looking for fresh arms, the Guardians made a roster move on Tuesday afternoon and selected the contract of LHP Will Dion to add to the big-league roster.
The 26-year-old made it into Tuesday’s game against the Washington Nationals, officially making his long-awaited MLB debut.
Not only did Dion appear in his first big-league game, but he also gave the Guardians a much-needed, strong, multi-inning effort. The left-hander tossed the last 3.0 innings of the game, allowed five hits, didn’t walk a single batter, and struck out three hitters.
Up until the final hitter of the night, Dion hadn’t allowed a single run either. However, Andres Chaparro drove in two runs on a single before being thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.
All things considered, this was a strong first impression from Dion. He didn’t allow any free base runners, generated a little swing and miss as all five of his pitches landed in the zone, and proved to the Guardians he can provide long relief if needed.
Those are certainly skillsets that will play at the big-league level.
Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Will Dion (98) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn ImagesManager Stephen Vogt was clearly impressed by what he saw from the rookie pitcher, too.
“The guy's not afraid. We saw him do this at spring training,” said Cleveland’s skipper after the game.
”A really fun night for Will Dion and his family. He did a phenomenal job, kept us in the game. And just really cool to see him do that. And when he knows he needs to keep that game close. And like I said, outside of a tough luck double there at the end, [he] did a phenomenal job.”
It’ll be interesting to see where Dion goes from here. The left-hander clearly proved that he can provide some value pitching out of the bullpen, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Guardians still need more fresh arms, especially after using a total of five pitchers to get through Tuesday’s game.
In the end, Dion made a strong first impression, and one the Guardians will remember when they need more depth out of the bullpen.
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