Cleveland Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo, who has a 1.80 ERA in two July starts, isn’t easy to hit.

Cantillo, who will start against the host Miami Marlins on Sunday as the Guardians look for a three-game sweep, has an over-the-top delivery that gives batters fits. In fact, from last year to this season, his hard-hit rate has dropped from 41.8% to 36.5%.

Cantillo is 7-4 with a 3.66 ERA this season, his third in the majors. He’s already set a career high in wins and looks for his eighth in his first career start against the Marlins.

As for Cleveland’s offense, third baseman Jose Ramirez and left fielder Angel Martinez are on the injured list, along with their combined 21 homers, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt can’t wait to get them back.

“We haven’t played our best baseball (without them),” Vogt said. “But we’ve found ways to win.”

Without Ramirez and Martinez, other Guardians players have emerged, including rookie right fielder Chase DeLauter, who has 10 homers, 45 RBIs and a .279 batting average, best among everyday starters on the team.

“Chase is learning faster than most,” Vogt said. “Good hitters foul (tough) pitches off, and Chase has done that.”

DeLauter, Cleveland’s first-round pick (No. 16 overall) in 2022, is part of a stellar rookie class for the Guardians. That class includes starting second baseman Travis Bazzana (first overall pick in 2024) and starting pitcher Parker Messick (second-rounder in 2022), both of whom are among Cleveland’s three players selected to the All-Star Game.

Then again, using rookies in key places is necessary for the Guardians, who have the lowest payroll in the major leagues ($80 million).

The Marlins, meanwhile, have the second-lowest payroll ($80.8 million).

That being said, the Guardians and Marlins would both be in the playoffs if the season ended today. And, by contrast, the Mets — who have the highest payroll in baseball at $328.7 million — are essentially out of contention this year.

After initially not announcing a starter, Miami will start right-hander Tyler Phillips (2-3, 3.28) in his ongoing conversion from reliever to starter.

After his first 15 appearances this season came out of the bullpen, he’s started eight of his last nine outings. By now, he’s essentially completed the transformation, throwing a season-high 97 pitches in his fourth and final June start.

The 28-year-old’s two July starts have been a mixed bag. After he was tagged for five runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings against the Athletics on July 3, he delivered five shutout innings and was the winning pitcher in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over the Mariners.

“Really nice bounce-back for Tyler,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said after Phillips’ last start. “As he continues to make this transition back to starting, filling up the zone (is key) because he’s got so many weapons to go to. I think that’s kind of the ticket is being on attack and giving himself count leverage.”

Since Phillips will be on three days’ rest after a 71-pitch outing, the Marlins bullpen will need to do some heavier lifting than normal in the final game before the All-Star break.

On paper, that shouldn’t be a problem for the Marlins, who have a 3.72 bullpen ERA, seventh-best in the majors.

–Field Level Media

The pitching matchup in Detroit on Sunday sounds like it belongs in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

The Phillies’ Zack Wheeler and the Tigers’ Tarik Skubal were not named All-Stars this season, but they’re easily among the best pitchers on the planet. The pair will start the rubber game of a three-game series.

Wheeler is coming off a dominant performance in Cincinnati when he matched his career high with 14 strikeouts in a 4-1 Phillies victory last Tuesday. The right-hander lasted seven innings, allowing just one run and four hits.

Wheeler has a 9-1 record and 2.28 ERA but got overlooked when the All-Stars were announced on July 4.

“I felt like that was a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded,” he said. “It pisses me off. It’s kind of BS. Maybe if I wasn’t necessarily right in (the All-Star mix), I wouldn’t be saying this. But I feel like I’ve earned it.”

According to The Athletic and NBC Sports Philadelphia, Wheeler was offered a spot that opened on the NL roster on Friday but declined.

Wheeler, who had a blood clot in his pitching shoulder last season, didn’t make his season debut until late April. He quickly reestablished his status as one of the majors’ most feared starters. He’s given up two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 14 starts.

“I had expectations when I got hurt,” Wheeler said. “I’m going to be the same guy or even better. I’m going to use this time to get a little bit stronger, maybe just tweak a couple things. That’s what I’ve been able to do. And credit to the coaching staff, the training staff and my family for helping me get through that mentally and physically.”

He’s 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA in three career starts against the Tigers. Skubal has won both of his career starts against the Phillies, allowing three runs in a combined 14 innings for a 1.93 ERA.

Skubal (5-4, 3.06), who won the American League Cy Young Award each of the last two seasons, was not chosen for the Midsummer Classic mainly due to the fact he missed six weeks after undergoing an elbow procedure.

He’s won his last two starts, including a five-inning outing against the Athletics last Tuesday. The left-hander gave up five hits and walked two, but the Athletics only pushed across one run. Skubal struck out nine for the third consecutive start while throwing 96 pitches.

“Part of that is, I counted 20 non-competitive pitches,” Skubal said. “That’s a high percentage of my outing. The other part is, that’s a good lineup over there. I sprayed the ball a little, especially my fastball. And some changeups, too. Not my best showing by any means.”

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was much less critical of his ace’s performance.

“He’s always the hardest critic on himself,” Hinch said. “He beats himself up quite a bit. But give him some grace. He goes out and one run is deemed an OK start. Think about that standard every time you take the mound no matter what you do. The bar is really high and he can handle it.”

The teams split the first two games, with Philadelphia snapping Detroit’s six-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory on Saturday night.

With the All-Star break coming up and a six-game road trip to follow, the Tigers won’t play another home game until July 23.

–Field Level Media

Former Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold will be allowed to continue working out with NFL teams after a judge ruled Friday he does not need to wear a GPS tracker as a condition of his release.

Arnold was arrested on June 24 and is facing felony charges of armed robbery and kidnapping related to an incident in February near Tampa, Fla.

He was released on a $1 million bond and subjected to home confinement with the exception of work and legal appointments.

After the Lions cut Arnold on June 29, the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office filed a motion to reconsider the terms of his bond conditions, arguing that no longer being an NFL player was a “substantial change” in his circumstances, the legal standard required to consider bond condition changes.

Arnold’s lawyers argued a GPS monitor would prevent him from being able to sign with another team.

His agent, Nicole Lynn, testified at the hearing that the New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts all inquired about Arnold within 24 hours of his release from the Lions.

“He actually had a workout with the team, an NFL team, just yesterday. So he was in their facility, they paid for him to fly in, he did a physical, which shows you how serious these teams are about him,” Lynn told the court. “With an ankle monitor, it would be extremely difficult and maybe even impossible for him to get a job.”

She testified Arnold worked out with the Texans this week and had another workout scheduled next week with another NFL team, though she said there is currently no verbal agreement or contract with any team.

Arnold is accused of being the ringleader of an alleged plot to avenge a theft in February by detaining and pistol-whipping the men he believed were responsible. But authorities said none of the victims Arnold and his co-conspirators allegedly kidnapped and attacked were involved with stealing items from Arnold.

The 23-year-old was the primary conspirator, according to prosecutors. All three victims are in their teens, according to court documents.

Arnold reported the theft of more than $250,000 in property from an Airbnb in Largo, Fla., near Tampa, three days before the alleged kidnapping and assault occurred.

Arnold was selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Across 24 games in his two seasons with the Lions, he has recorded 91 tackles, 18 passes defensed and one interception.

He is an unrestricted agent after clearing waivers Monday.

–Field Level Media