The Guardians announced Friday that they’ve recalled right-hander Austin Peterson from Triple-A Columbus and designated reliever Carlos Hernández for assignment. Cleveland also reinstated righty Slade Cecconi from the 15-day injured list and placed setup man Colin Holderman on the 15-day IL due to right wrist inflammation. It’s Peterson’s first call to the majors; he’ll make his debut the first time he takes the mound.

Peterson will turn 27 in two weeks. The right-hander was selected to the major league roster last November in order to protect him from December’s Rule 5 Draft. He’s a 2022 ninth-round pick who was coming off a strong 3.21 ERA in 145 2/3 innings split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels, which would’ve given him a strong chance at being scooped up in by another club had he been left unprotected.

The 2026 season hasn’t gone as smoothly. Peterson has pitched exclusively in Triple-A this season, making 19 starts and a pair of bulk relief appearances behind an opener. He’s turned in a 4.53 ERA, though that’s surely been inflated to some extent by a hefty .340 average on balls in play and a slightly low 68.2% strand rate. His 24.9% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate are both quality marks.

Peterson was diagnosed with a triceps strain early in spring training this year, which delayed his season debut until the end of April. He’s been on a roll of late, allowing no more than three earned runs in any of his past seven trips to the mound. He’s totaled 35 innings in that span and recorded a 3.34 ERA with a 35-to-7 K/BB ratio.

The 6’6″, 234-pound Peterson has a huge frame but doesn’t throw especially hard. He’s averaged 92.9 mph on his four-seamer this year and 93.1 mph on his sinker. He’ll also incorporate a cutter (88 mph average), slider (81.1 mph), changeup (87.9 mph) and very occasional curveball (77.9 mph) as part of a deep six-pitch repertoire.

Despite last year’s strong showing, neither Baseball America nor MLB.com list Peterson among Cleveland’s top 30 prospects. He’s 22nd over at FanGraphs, where Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski tab him as a potential multi-inning reliever or spot starter who’ll do his best work against righty-heavy lineups given the below-average nature of his changeup.

Hernández, 29, was only selected to the major league roster a couple days ago. He’s pitched three innings and allowed a pair of runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts. He threw 25 pitches in two innings Wednesday and another 26 pitches in an inning of work last night. That would very likely have rendered him unavailable today on a day where Cleveland is playing a doubleheader against the Tigers. As such, they’ll shuffle him off the roster in and bring in Peterson as a candidate to bring some length to the bullpen. Lefties Logan Allen and Foster Griffin are slated to start today’s two games for Cleveland.

Hernández has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons, mostly with division-rival Kansas City. He’s totaled 302 2/3 frames with a 5.14 ERA. The right-hander throws extremely hard, averaging just shy of 98 mph on his four-seamer, but doesn’t generate the number of whiffs or chases one might expect with that premium velocity. He’s also too prone to walks (career 11.1%). Now that the trade deadline has passed, Cleveland will have to either place him on outright waivers or release him. If Hernández clears waivers, he’d have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

As for Holderman, losing him for even a short spell is a tough hit to Cleveland’s bullpen. The former Pirates righty flamed out in Pittsburgh but has had a resurgence since moving to Progressive Field. He’s pitched 52 2/3 innings for the Guards and posted a 2.73 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, 9% walk rate and 53.9% ground-ball rate en route to 11 holds and a save. The Guardians signed Holderman to a $1.5MM deal after the Bucs non-tendered him. He’s still controllable via arbitration through the 2028 campaign.