Guardians recall Codi Heuer, option Franco Aleman amid bullpen strain

Heuer was the fresh arm Cleveland could not wait on any longer. The Guardians recalled the 29-year-old right-hander from Triple-A Columbus on May 13 and optioned Franco Aleman back to the Clippers, a move made ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Angels at Progressive Field as the club tried to get through a punishing 13-games-in-13-days stretch with a bullpen that had been taking on too much work. Heuer was already with the big-league club and could make his Guardians debut as soon as Wednesday.

“It’s just the position we’re in right now,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We needed some innings today with where the bullpen is.” That was the clearest sign the move was about survival as much as evaluation. Heuer had impressed in spring training, and he arrived in Columbus with momentum, posting a 2.57 ERA over 14 appearances and 14 innings while striking out 12 and walking seven. For a Cleveland relief corps that had been running hot through the stretch, his ability to cover multiple innings mattered more than sticking with the same short-burst formula.

Aleman’s demotion did not erase the run that got him here. It reflected the squeeze created by Cleveland’s immediate need for innings. He was recalled May 8, made his major-league debut May 11, and was sent back to Triple-A on May 13. His development path has been stop-start for two years, from a 1.99 ERA in 24 Columbus appearances in 2024 before a right oblique strain interrupted that season, to opening 2025 on the injured list after left hip inguinal hernia repair surgery in February, to a difficult 2025 in Columbus before a strong start this year.

The Columbus domino effect is already visible. If Cleveland keeps asking for bullpen length, Austin Peterson becomes the next logical name to watch, an active right-hander on the Clippers roster who is also on the 40-man and had opened 2026 with 3.0 scoreless innings and four strikeouts. In a season shaped by workload and attrition, one recall can quickly become the first move in a longer chain.