The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Bauer upbeat about comeback
Trevor Bauer is so close to returning to the Indians’ active roster he joked with Manager Terry Francona about being able to pitch against the White Sox on Sept. 18 — but he’s not quite there yet.
Bauer, recovering from a right leg stress fracture that has kept him on the disabled list since Aug. 12, pitched three innings of a simulated game before Corey Kluber faced the White Sox to open a three-game series. Each inning, with an Indians player in the batter’s box, consisted of between 17-19 pitches.
Bauer wasn’t smiling because his facial muscles don’t work that way when he talks to reporters, but he came away from the workout upbeat about his chances of being able to contribute in the postseason.
“Seeing the hitters in the box helps a lot, because then it’s more about trying to execute a sequence, a pitch,” Bauer said. “There are counts. There’s feedback on your stuff. It’s still hard to get the adrenaline up to game levels, but there’s definitely more there than in a bullpen.
“I was just pulling all my sliders the first couple innings, which I have a tendency to do, because I want to see it off the plate, away. And I start it there and it runs even further, instead of trying to start it middle and running off. Those are the things, those cues that come back to you when you see hitters and you’re like, ‘OK, I missed over there a couple times. I know what I need to do to correct that.’ ”
Bauer last threw in a bullpen session Sept. 15. He said his right leg restricted him at that time, but not three nights later.
“I feel better; I don’t know how exactly to expand on that,” Bauer said. “I told Tito I’m available tonight. No, I don’t know. I think I have to pass some (tests) fielding my position, covering first and some bunts,
stuff like that. Based on the information I have right now, I would feel comfortable execution-wise being able to go into a big-league game. So, we’re close.”
The Indians and Bauer are racing the calendar. They open the ALDS on Oct. 5, most likely against the Astros in Houston.
“We know Trevor wants to pitch,” Francona said. “From our standpoint, the quicker we can get him in a game, without risk, the better. But that’s where you have to listen to the medical
guys, too.
“I thought he made a good step in the right direction. I don’t think it’s reasonable to think somebody’s going to be touching 98 (mph) at three o’clock against (Adam) Rosales and (Brandon) Barnes, but I thought his velocity ticked up, I thought his delivery had more rhythm to it -looked more like Trevor.”
A healthy Bauer would be a huge boost to the Tribe’s chances of getting back to the World Series, where they lost to the Cubs in 2016.
The Indians are considering using Bauer in the bullpen in the postseason. He was 12-2 with a 2.22 ERA as a starter before the injury suffered when he was hit by a line drive. Whether it’s starting or relieving, Bauer just wants to pitch in the playoffs.
“I don’t control that, so you’ll have to talk to somebody else about that,” Bauer said. “I say this all the time, I pitch when they tell me to pitch, whether that’s in the starting rotation, in the bullpen, not at all. That’s
their decision.”
Francona said it is too soon discus what Bauer’s role might be without more input from the medical staff. The manager was asked whether Bauer will be cleared and activated in time to pitch before the postseason begins.
“I guess it’s a scenario,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s likely, but that’s one of them.”
The regular season ends Sept. 30 in the finale of a four-game series with the Royals in Kansas City.