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Pagán to Miss 4-8 Weeks; Bullpen Shifts to Committee

5/7/2026

43 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Pagán Injured

Emilio Pagán left the May 5, 2026 game against the Cubs with a left hamstring injury and was placed on the 15-day IL.
Doctors diagnosed a Grade 2 strain and project a four-to-eight-week recovery.
Manager Terry Francona said the bullpen may use a committee approach, considering Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson as interim closers.
Pagán, on a two-year, $20 million contract, had six saves with a 6.43 ERA in 15 games.

Summary

Antone Promoted

Antone’s Triple-A stint (3 ER, 6 H, 6 BB, 15 K in 12 games) earned promotion.
After three Tommy John surgeries and a 2024 UCL tear, Antone had planned to retire before promotion.
Manager Terry Francona said Antone’s arrival lifted clubhouse morale.
JJ Bleday is batting .292/.414/.833 with five extra-base hits and a homer in eight games as the Reds sit 20-16, on a five-game losing streak trailing the Cubs 2-0.

History

Historical Context

Frank Jobe performed the first ulnar-collateral-ligament reconstruction on Dodgers pitcher Tommy John on September 25 1974, saving a career that later spanned 14 more seasons. The procedure became routine, with roughly one-third of MLB pitchers treated by 2014 and 35.3 % of active pitchers in 2023. Today Antone joins the Cleveland Guardians’ bullpen, a roster move shaped by that legacy.

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Pagán Injured

Emilio Pagán left the May 5, 2026 game against the Cubs with a left hamstring injury and was placed on the 15-day IL.
Doctors diagnosed a Grade 2 strain and project a four-to-eight-week recovery.
Manager Terry Francona said the bullpen may use a committee approach, considering Tony Santillan, Graham Ashcraft and Pierce Johnson as interim closers.
Pagán, on a two-year, $20 million contract, had six saves with a 6.43 ERA in 15 games.

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