Walter underwent surgery Monday to repair his right lat, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
The Guardians didn't divulge a timetable for Walters, but the operation will undoubtedly end the reliever's season. Walter had been shelved since late May with the injury and last week was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
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Guardians' Andrew Walters: Shelved at Triple-A
Rotowire
Triple-A Columbus placed Walters on its 7-day injured list Monday due to an unspecified injury.
After failing to win a spot in the Guardians' Opening Day bullpen coming out of spring training, Walters had gotten off to a strong start to the season with Columbus, producing a 1.35 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB in 6.2 innings over seven appearances. However, the right-hander sustained an apparent injury during his most recent appearance Wednesday, temporarily halting any momentum he might have built for a promotion to the big leagues.
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Guardians' Andrew Walters: Facing hitters
Rotowire
Walters (shoulder) threw live batting practice Wednesday.
Walters has been out with shoulder stiffness since late February, but he seems to be making progress in his recovery after throwing a bullpen session Sunday and now progressing to live hitters. That being said, it remains unclear if he'll be ready for Opening Day.
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Guardians' Andrew Walters: Opening Wednesday's game
Rotowire
Walters will serve as the Guardians' opening pitcher in Wednesday's contest versus the Reds, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
The Guardians are altering their final-week pitching plans after locking up a first-round bye in the playoffs. Walters will serve as the Guardians' first pitcher in what's expected to be a bullpen game in the series finale Wednesday, with Joey Cantillo's next start being pushed back to Friday against the Astros as a result.
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Guardians' Andrew Walters: Picks up first win
Rotowire
Walters (1-0) struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the victory in Monday's 4-3 win over the Twins.
Walters has given up just one unearned run and posted a 2:1 K:BB over his first three innings in the majors. The 23-year-old surged through the Guardians' minor-league system after being selected 62nd overall in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, logging just 50.1 innings in the minors. He's in the majors for bullpen depth currently, though this will also serve as a first audition for him to potentially be a part of Cleveland's relief corps in 2025.
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Guardians' Andrew Walters: Brought up to big leagues
Rotowire
The Guardians selected Walters' contract from Triple-A Columbus on Thursday, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.
A second-round pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, Walters has dominated between Double-A Akron and Columbus this season, collecting a 2.32 ERA and 79:25 K:BB over 50.1 innings. The 23-year-old should pitch high-leverage situations eventually for the Guardians but given the weapons they already have in their bullpen, he might just be a middle reliever initially.
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Guardians' Andrew Walters: Six saves at Triple-A
Rotowire
Walters has a 2.97 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 41 strikeouts and six saves in 30.1 innings across 33 appearances for Triple-A Columbus.
A pure reliever who received almost $1 million after the Guardians selected him with the No. 62 overall pick last year, Walters was assigned to Double-A to begin his pro career and dominated to the tune of a 1.35 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, two saves and 38 strikeouts in 20 innings. His strikeout rate dipped from 46.3 percent to 31.8 percent and his walk rate spiked from 9.8 percent to 13.2 percent after the bump to Triple-A, but Walters is still one of the best relief pitching prospects in the game. He should figure prominently into Cleveland's setup mix as the 2025 season unfolds.
