Kluber facing big season with Rangers

Former Indians starter Corey Kluber might be a two-time AL Cy Young winner, but the Rangers pitcher said he has a lot to prove this season.

SURPRISE, ARIZ. » After Corey Kluber was traded to Texas, his new manager got a lot of texts and calls from people saying what a phenomenal pitcher and person the Rangers got.

The only message that surprised Chris Woodward was the one he got from the twotime Cy Young Award winner.

“One of the first texts he sent me, ‘I’ve got a lot to prove,’” Woodward said Friday. “You don’t expect that to come from a guy who’s had so much success.”

While the 33-year-old right-hander had an injuryplagued final season in Cleveland last year, he was coming off an extended stretch as one of baseball’s best pitchers. He was a 20-game winner in 2018, and the American League Cy Young winner in 2014 and 2017 — all that during a five-year span when he threw at least 203 innings with 222 strikeouts or more each season.

Kluber was the Indians’ opening day starter for the fifth season in a row last year, but suffered a broken right forearm when he was hit by a comeback liner in his seventh start. When he was close to returning to the rotation, he suffered an oblique injury during a minor league rehab appearance and spent the rest of his time in Cleveland rehabbing from that.

“My arm and stuff was back to normal. Unfortunately, just my oblique got in the way of me getting all of the way back,” Kluber said Friday. “Once I did get to the offseason, it was no restrictions. I had a normal offseason.”

The only differences this winter were that he started throwing a little earlier than usual because of all the missed time last season, and then the Indians traded their unquestioned ace to Texas just before Christmas.