The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Kluber logs Akron tuneup
AKRON >> Corey Kluber’s right arm is not back 100 percent, but his demeanor is in midseason form.
The Indians’ right-hander was stoic as ever Aug. 13 after pitching four innings and throwing 60 pitches in a rehab start for the Double-A Akron RubberDucks.
The only question that really matters is the one that was asked when he went on the injured list with a broken right forearm nearly 15 weeks ago — when will Kluber pitch for the Indians again? There still is no answer.
“I feel good,” he said in the RubberDucks clubhouse after his night ended. “It was a lot easier to get into the flow of the game than the last time (in Columbus). It was weird the first time out.
“I felt like that was a positive. I was just trying to get ready. I’m just taking it start to start. I don’t have a way of grading where we are.”
Kluber threw 15 pitches in the first inning, 14 in the second and only nine in the third. He sailed through the first nine Trenton batters without allowing a baserunner.
Kluber struck out Hoy Jun Park to start the fourth inning, but then Thunder shortstop Kyle Holder hammered a 1-2 fastball over the
fence in right-center for his eighth home run of the season. Before the inning ended the Indians’ righthander threw 22 pitches, walked a batter and gave up a single just inside the bag at first.
Kluber’s final pitching line: 36 of his 60 pitches were strikes.
He reached 93 MPH on his fastball once in the first inning and once in the second, but not again after that. Kluber struck out
six Thunder batters and walked one.
The rehab assignment in sold out Canal Park before a crowd of 8,322 was the second for Kluber since a line drive off the bat of Brian Anderson of the Miami Marlins fractured his right forearm on May 1.
Kluber threw 41 pitches over three innings while pitching for the Columbus Clippers against Pawtucket on Aug. 8 in his first game action since the injury.
He threw 24 strikes and gave up two home runs. He struck out two, walked one and got five ground ball outs. He got five ground ball outs on Aug. 13.
Kluber has allowed three home runs in a total of seven innings in two minor league rehab starts. He allowed four home runs in 35 2/3 innings with the Indians before the injury interrupted his season.
Kluber never has been an overpowering pitcher, so
he is not concerned about throwing his fastball in the low 90s with the Ducks.
He admitted getting fatigued in the fourth inning when the Thunder got to him for their only two hits off him.
“I’m not a big velocity guy,” Kluber said. “I’m not concerned with that. Whatever it is that day, that’s what it is. I’m taking it start by start and trying to continue to get built up and fine-tune stuff. When that
time comes when I’m ready, that time will be, but I don’t have an answer when that is.”
Indians relief pitcher Dan Otero, rehabbing from a shoulder injury, pitched the fifth inning. He gave up one walk, no hits and no runs.
Tyler Olson recovering from an illness, pitched two thirds of an inning.
He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out two batters.