Guardians’ top prospect Gavin Williams has been experiencing pain in his right elbow since early March. After throwing three innings in a rehab start on Saturday, Williams felt discomfort in the back of his elbow, prompting the team to shut him down for seven days. The 21-year-old right-hander will receive a cortisone injection and will be on a no-throw program during this period. Williams was expected to compete for a spot in Cleveland’s opening day rotation but has been sidelined since spring training due to the elbow injury.
Williams initially injured his elbow in a weighted ball drill that caused him to be shutdown after two Cactus League starts. He returned to action on Saturday but experienced pain after his outing. Williams took a red eye flight from Phoenix to Cleveland on Saturday night and has been waiting for the Guardians to tell him what the next step will be.
Instead of another rehab start, Williams will be on a no-throw program for at least seven days, according to Vogt. The hope is that Williams can resume throwing at the end of this period and not fall too far back in his rehab. The Guardians are being cautious with Williams, who is considered one of the top prospects in baseball.
When spring training opened, Williams owned a spot in the opening day rotation after making his big league debut last year. That has not materialized due to the elbow injury. The Guardians will continue to monitor Williams’ progress and hope to have him back on the mound soon.
