Kluber shut down for 2 weeks
CLEVELAND — Corey Kluber’s comeback has been sidetracked.
The Indians ace will be shut down for two weeks with an abdominal strain, an injury he sustained as he was rehabbing from a broken arm.
Kluber was pulled from a minor league outing for Triple-A Columbus at Charlotte on Sunday after one scoreless inning because of abdominal tightness. It was his third rehab start as he tries to return from the injury, and he was scheduled to throw 80-85 pitches. If everything had gone well, it was possible he could have rejoined the Indians rotation this week .
Instead, he returned to Cleveland, and the team said imaging tests confirmed the strain.
“When he came out after the first inning and felt something, fortunately he didn’t go back out. He could have really made it worse,” manager Terry Francona said Tuesday.
Kluber won’t throw for two weeks before he’s reexamined and a plan is formulated. The two-time Cy Young Award winner hopes to be part of the Indians’ playoff push.
Francona said Kluber was examined Monday by Indians head team physician Mark Schickendantz and also was scheduled to see team physician Jason Genin “to see if there’s anything they feel they can do to maybe speed it up.”
But t he managerwouldn’t speculate about the likelihood of Kluber returning in time to make an impact this season.
Kluber hasn’t pitched for the three-time defending AL Central champs since May 1. He was struck by a line drive and fractured his ulna.