Knee injury shelves Clevinger

Spring training games are still more than a week away, and already the injury bug has bitten the Indians.

Starting pitcher Mike Clevinger underwent arthroscopic surgery Feb. 14 after sustaining a left knee injury Feb. 12 during a workout at the Tribe’s Goodyear Development Complex. He will be able return to major-league activity in six-to-eight weeks, the Indians announced after the surgery performed by Dr. Tim Kremcheck in Avondale, Ariz., the Indians announced.

The injury was diagnosed as a partial tear of Clevinger’s left medial meniscus. Barring setbacks, the six-to-eight week timetable means Clevinger should be ready to pitch for the Tribe by midApril.

The Indians are counting heavily on Clevinger this season. The 29-year-old right-hander and Shane Bieber are the Indians’ top two pitchers, followed by Carlos Carrasco, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale. Adam Plutko and Jefry Rodriguez are also in the mix to challenge Plesac and Civale for a starting job.

Clevinger missed more than two months last season recovering from an upper back injury. He finished 13-4 with a 2.71 ERA while striking out 169 batters in 126 innings. He yielded 10 home runs.

The Indians lost depth in their starting rotation Dec. 15 when they traded two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to the Rangers for outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. and relief pitcher Emmanuel Clase. Manager Terry Francona said, “No one wanted to trade Kluber,” but management was confident there was enough depth in the rotation to absorb the loss.

The injury to Clevinger might settle the matter of naming an openingday starter. It was easy for Francona to choose Kluber as his starter in recent years, but with Kluber now in Texas, Francona would have to choose between Clevinger and Bieber to face the White Sox when the 2020 season begins at 1 p.m. March 26 at Progressive Field.

Now the opening-day assignment will likely go to Bieber, unless Francona chooses to go with Carrasco as a sentimental favorite. Carrasco missed three months last season battling leukemia, but he is healthy now and eager to regain his spot in the starting rotation.

Bieber, 15-8 in 2019, led the Indians in victories, innings pitched (214 1/3) and strikeouts (269). He also gave up a team-most 31 home runs.

The home runs given up by Bieber were 11th-most allowed in the major leagues last year.

One pitcher who coughed up more was Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander from the Astros with 36 allowed.

KATHY WILLENS — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Mike Clevinger winds up during the first inning of an August 2019 game against the Yankees.