Gavin Williams's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) threw five innings on Friday for Double-A Akron, striking out four batters and allowing just one run on four hits. Williams threw 66 pitches and topped out at 98 mph with his fastball. Friday marked Williams' fifth appearance in the minor leagues on his rehab assignment from right elbow discomfort, so there's a chance the Guardians deem him ready to rejoin the major-league roster for his 2024 debut in his next start. After posting a promising 3.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP while striking out 81 and walking 37 through 16 starts (82 innings) during his rookie year a season ago, the 24-year-old former top prospect needs to be stashed in all fantasy leagues with his return appearing imminent.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) made his first minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Thursday, allowing two runs on two hits (one home run) and two walks with two strikeouts over 1 1/3 innings of work. Williams' velocity was fine, but another big takeaway from Thursday's outing is that he was only able to reach 32 pitches. That likely means Williams is going to require around five appearances in the minors before he's stretched out enough to rejoin the major-league rotation, meaning his 2024 debut with the Guardians is unlikely to arrive until sometime in late June. In the meantime, veteran right-hander Ben Lively has helped fill in with a 2.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 43:14 K:BB across 45 innings (eight starts) as a starter for Cleveland in 2024 and will be a prime streaming candidate in fantasy for Saturday's scheduled appearance at home versus the Washington Nationals.

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (elbow) is expected to make a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Columbus on Wednesday. Williams is now in the final step of his recovery from right-elbow discomfort that first cropped up for him during spring training. The 24-year-old also had a setback in the first month of the season, which is why he has yet to make his 2024 MLB debut. Given his long layoff, he will almost certainly require multiple rehab starts before the Guardians consider having him rejoin their starting rotation. But if he avoids any further setbacks, Williams could be back well before the All-Star break. The former 23rd overall pick in 2021 out of East Carolina could be worth picking up and stashing now after he had a really impressive 3.29 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with an 81:37 K:BB in his first 16 big-league starts in 2023.

Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) threw a live batting practice session on Friday and will throw another one in a few days. Barring any setbacks, Williams will begin a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of May. Williams has not yet made his 2024 regular-season debut due to an extended absence with discomfort in his right elbow, but he's finally tracking toward rejoining Cleveland's rotation before the end of June. Due to the long layoff, he figures to need multiple rehab appearances before doing so. The 24-year-old former top prospect registered a promising 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 81:37 K:BB across 82 innings (16 starts) for the Guardians during his rookie season in 2023, and Williams' upside to contribute across the board in fantasy means he deserves to be stashed in the majority of leagues.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams (elbow) successfully threw a 50-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday. Williams said he didn't feel any lingering effects following his first bullpen session since receiving an anti-inflammatory injection, and he's scheduled to throw his next bullpen on Friday. The 24-year-old former top prospect is working his way back from discomfort in his right elbow after being shut down in late April, and it remains unclear when he'll resume his rehab assignment at this point. Williams should still be an option in Cleveland's rotation sometime in June, and fantasy managers who can afford the stash should be holding the right-hander after he posted a 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, and 81:37 K:BB across 82 innings (16 starts) for the Guards in his rookie season in 2023. In the meantime, veterans Carlos Carrasco and Ben Lively will keep battling to hold down spots in the rotation.