Florida pitcher Franco Aleman (35) makes a pitch in a start against Alabama during the SEC Tournament on May 27, 2021, in the Hoover Met in Hoover, Ala. Gary Cosby Jr. via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Cleveland Guardians Bullpen Candidate Out of Spring Training After Surgical Procedure

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Jami Leabow | Last updated Feb 28, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The spring training experience of Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Franco Aleman is over.

The club announced he underwent a left hip inguinal hernia repair on Tuesday, which has a recovery time of four to six weeks.

Medical update:

+RHP Franco Aleman submitted to a left hip inguinal hernia repair yesterday by Dr. Conrad Ballecer at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, AZ. The expected recovery is 4-to-6 weeks.
— GuardsInsider (@GuardsInsider) February 27, 2025

The Guardians selected the Cuba native in the 10th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida. Now 24, he’s appeared in 87 games (eight starts) in the Cleveland farm system and has an 8-16 record with a 4.25 ERA and 12 saves.

The numbers for Aleman, a right-hander, have improved with increased experience.

In his first season of pro ball at Single-A Lynchburg in 2022, he posted a 3-10 record with a 6.31 ERA in 24 games (eight starts). The following season, the organization turned him exclusively into a reliever.

Fast forward to 2024. Pitching for Triple A-Columbus, he had a 1-2 record, 1.99 ERA and two saves in 24 games. He has 193 strikeouts in 133.1 career innings.

The Guardians added Aleman to the 40-man roster last November to shield him from being lost in the Rule 5 draft. That moved him into prime position for a 2025 call-up, once he recovers and completes his abbreviated training camp.

The Cleveland bullpen was the best in the game in 2024. Relievers were 42-12 with a 2.57 ERA, surrendering more than half a run less on average than the Milwaukee Brewers (3.11). Led by closer Emmanuel Clase, the Guardians staff had 53 saves – 47 of them belonging to Clase.

Opponents hit just .203 off Cleveland relievers, who struck out 650 batters in 623 innings.

This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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