MLB fans disappointed as fantasy baseball favorite Triston McKenzie sidelined for eight weeks: "There goes my preseason Cy Young pick"

Division Series - New York Yankees v Cleveland Guardians - Game Three
Triston McKenzie pitching against the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. [Source: Getty Images]

Cleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher Triston McKenzie has been put on the shelf after a suspected muscle strain is expected to keep him out of action for at least eight weeks. Mackenzie was an important component in the Guardians' rotation that helped them win the AL Central last season.

The 25-year-old has been a part of the Cleveland system since 2020. He shone in the 2022 season when Triston McKenzie went 11-11 with a 2.96 ERA with over 190 strikeouts in almost 191 innings. It was described by many media outlets as his breakout season.

McKenzie left after just one inning of Sunday's spring training game due to soreness and tightness in his right triceps and shoulder. He underwent an MRI on Monday morning, which confirmed the injury. He will be completely shut down from throwing any pitches for a two-week period, post which there will be a re-evaluation.

Fans were distraught at the sight of their young pitcher getting injured in the opening phase of the regular season. Many fantasy team enthusiasts had Triston McKenzie as one of the aces in their teams.

Some fans were even eyeing McKenzie as a contender for the Cy Young award this season.

Other fans chipped in with their quirky reactions with references aimed at the World Baseball Classic.

Triston McKenzie leaves a hole in the Cleveland Guardians' rotation

The Guardians will be hoping that Triston McKenie emerges from the rehab process faster than expected. His injury has left the defending AL Central with an important spot to fill especially when it comes to starts. The effective options to replace McKenzie are Hunter Gaddis and Konnor Pilkington.

Gaddis left Spring Training with a 2.77 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP over five games (two of them starts) and 13.0 innings while Pilkington started 11 games for the Guardians last season and posted a 4.41 ERA in those starts.

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