Triston McKenzie does not have anything left to prove after shutting down the Rays for 6.0 innings in the second game of the Wild Card. But if there are any doubters left out there following a 3.6 fWAR regular season and dominating postseason performance, he can silence them all with another strong outing against the Yankees tonight.
The ALDS returns to Cleveland for the first time since 2018 when the Guards were swept out of the playoffs by the Astros. At that time McKenzie — then a top prospect in the Cleveland organization — was out “indefinitely” with a back strain, while a rotator cuff injury and another muscle strain would keep him out of the entire 2019 season.