Guardians' Foster Griffin latest traded pitcher to struggle in debut with new team

Foster Griffin. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Guardians' Foster Griffin latest traded pitcher to struggle in debut with new team

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Aug 6, 2026 2:55 PM ET

Life since being traded has not been fun at all for several MLB starting pitchers.

Thursday, it was left-hander Foster Griffin making his debut with the Cleveland Guardians and it did not go as he or the organization had hoped it would.

Foster Griffin had a rough team debut

Griffin managed to make it through just four innings on Thursday, allowing five runs on seven hits against the New York Mets.

It was the second time this season that Griffin faced the Mets and neither time went well. His first outing against New York came on May 19 and in that start Griffin allowed five runs on eight hits across five innings.

The four-inning start on Thursday was not only the shortest of Griffin's season, but also of his MLB career.

Foster Griffin in his first start with the Guardians against the Mets:

4.0 IP | 7 H | 5 R | 2 BB | 6 K’s

He’s allowed 5+ runs in back-to-back starts. pic.twitter.com/KZhbuScOw0
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 6, 2026

Why are pitchers struggling so much with their new teams?

There is no real answer as to why Griffin or other pitchers such as Freddy Peralta and Casey Mize have struggled in their team debuts.

In the case of Mize and Griffin, they were each facing a team for the second time this season, something that could certainly be a contributing factor.

Whatever the issues may be, the three pitchers mentioned above will all be expected to figure those issues out. Each were acquired for an expensive package, and they're expected to play huge roles in getting their respective teams to the postseason.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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