Vince Velasquez returns to Guardians after illness recovery

Vince Velasquez returned to the Guardians camp on Tuesday after dealing with an illness. He pitched for the first time in over two weeks and had a scoreless eighth inning. Velasquez had not pitched since March 2 when he gave up two runs against Milwaukee. With just over a week until opening day, Velasquez is trying to secure a place in Cleveland's bullpen. He made a shaky start against the Rangers, getting a pitch timer violation before throwing a pitch. However, he quickly recovered and struck out rookie Arturo Disla. Velasquez then faced Chad Wallach, who walked, but he escaped the inning thanks to a ground ball double play. The pitcher missed all of the 2024 season after undergoing right elbow surgery. He previously played for the Pirates, White Sox, Padres, Phillies, and Astros. Cleveland signed the 32-year-old to a minor league deal in February. The contract could be worth $1.5 million if he makes the team, plus $2.5 million in performance bonuses. With some other pitchers facing issues, Velasquez has a good chance to earn a spot in the bullpen. In other news, Andrew Walters pitched scorelessly in his outing against Texas. The Guardians have more spring training games ahead, including matchups against the A’s and Angels later this week.