Guardians Notes: Tanner Bibee finishes two-game series with Royals after Wednesday’s postponed game

CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Cleveland’s eight-game homestand was cut short by one game on Wednesday due to inclement weather. While it wasn’t a scheduled day off for the Guardians, another day away from the field can serve well for players.

“This is good for our guys,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s good for them to get off their feet and turn their brain off. It can be really beneficial for guys.”

Tanner Bibee will take the mound in the series finale against Kansas City on Thursday. It’s Bibee’s second start against the Royals in his career.

“For the most part it’s just go out and be yourself,” Vogt said. “I look for him to be aggressive today, and go right after these guys with his best stuff.”

The Guardians are 11-1 this year with Bibee on the mound. He’s the second Cleveland pitcher since 1961 to have his team win 11 of his first 12 starts of the season, joining CC Sabathia who did it in his Cy Young season in 2007. He’s also logged three straight quality starts, tied for the longest such streak of his career.

“I think Tanner takes the ball and competes,” Vogt said. “He had some outings early in the year where he wasn’t quite himself and he’s learned from those. He’s out there taking the ball with confidence, he attacks, he’s got some of the best stuff in the game, and he’s our guy right now. We trust him.”

All-Star voting – Phase 1 of fan voting for the MLB All-Star Game opened on Wednesday. Jose Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase have made back-to-back All-Star Game rosters. Ramirez leads the team in All-Star appearances in his career with five.

“Our team has been playing great,” Vogt said. “We have a number of guys who I feel like have earned the right to be voted for and be talked about for an opportunity. The All-Star Game is the highest honor you can get in-season as a player. We have a number of guys that are not going to get talked about that should be considered, but it’s an exciting time of year.”

Injury update – Guardians relief pitcher Eli Morgan was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with right elbow inflammation.

“He saw the doctor,” Vogt said. “He’s doing okay. He’s going to be able to keep throwing, so he’s going to start his throwing progression again.”

Morgan had just been activated from the injured list with the same injury on May 28th. After an outing against the Rockies, Morgan felt discomfort in his elbow.